The Corcoran Boy
by SpySkater
Summary: What if Shelby didn't stop at Rachel? What if she had a son that she had to raise on her own? This story follows the Glee storyline, obviously AR.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

What was she going to do? This hadn't been the plan. She had never agreed to this. She figured it would be as easy as her last encounter with this. The parents had paid for the hospital bills and her, then taken their little girl excitedly. She'd been the only one left a bit upset. She really hadn't got to hold the little girl that held her genes that she was technically the mother of. That child would never have a mother, seeing as she was hired by two men.

But this child? She wasn't sure if she was ready to take care of him. Not even for the day that it would take to put him up for adoption. The plan had been that she'd do this one more time for money to pay for an apartment in New York. The parents hired her, the sperm was implanted, and she was pregnant. That was how it was supposed to go. And then they broke their contract five months in. Much too late for her to abort, not that she thought she had the heart to do so. Who was she to decide if this child lived? He wasn't even meant to be hers.

Here she lay, in the hospital, staring at the small boy in her arms. Her eyes hadn't moved from his in the hour since he'd been born. His skin was pale mainly from being in such a dark place for nine months. His lips were so small and pink, his button nose just a little bit above that. His black hair was smooth and laid flat on his head, combed forward. His eyes stared back at her, the same green-tinged golden brown. Looking into those eyes, she had to wonder how she would ever give him up.

Then she remembered the little girl from the year before. How she had missed that child once she'd been taken from her. Would she feel the same once this boy was gone? She was certainly more attached to him, seeing as she'd spent much more time with him.

One of his arms was freed from the blue blanket he was swaddled in. His tiny hand was wrapped around her finger, not willing to let go. His eyes occasionally moved to the finger he was gripping.

"How is the new mother?" her doctor asked, sauntering in. His clipboard was digging softly into his chest. His pen was in his hand, ready to jot down notes.

"I'm fine," Shelby answered, still looking at the baby in her arms. He still had no name.

The doctor took notes on her vitals before looking over at her and the newborn. He smiled.

"Decided what to do?" he asked. He'd been her doctor for months and knew about her predicament. He wrote something else down on the clipboard.

Shelby continued looking down at the small boy. As much as she wanted to get out of this place, she didn't have the heart to give up this child while not knowing where he'd end up. The child she'd given up a year ago had two fathers who would love and care for her. Shelby had witnessed this. But this boy? Who knew how long he'd be in the system? Would he even find parents? She didn't want his future on her conscience. Besides, he was so damn cute.

"I'm keeping him," she told the doctor. He smiled, bringing his clipboard to his side.

"I'll get the paperwork," he said.

Shelby sighed as he left her hospital room. Now the question was what to name him. She hadn't had to think about this for the past nine months. She had figured she'd pass him off and go about her business.

"How do you feel about Henry?" the new mother asked. The child didn't respond. He simply continued to hold her finger. "No? Okay, um… Paul?" Once again, the baby didn't respond. Shelby chuckled. "Why am I asking you? Um, Robert?" The child's lips turned up a bit in what looked like a smile. Shelby smiled at his response. "Oh, you like that? Robert. Robbie. That's cute. How about Lucas?" The smile remained on the boy's lips. "Robert Lucas Corcoran."

**OOC: So, how are we feeling? Should I leave it at this?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Music First, Image Later**

The first few months had been difficult for Shelby. The loss of sleep weighed heavily on her. Coffee became her best friend. Robbie was not an amazing sleeper and Shelby was second guessing keeping him. But the next morning, when she looked at the small, cooing child, those regrets and doubts dissipated. His smile warmed her heart and made her happy that she had kept him.

He was an obedient child, immensely brilliant. But what she loved most was his passion for music. From the time he could walk, Robbie had danced to music whenever he heard it playing. Do-re-mi had been his first word if it could be considered as such. He unconsciously hummed once he began to sleep through the night. He started singing in gibberish when he was about the age of one. Shelby had even bought him a tiny guitar as a baby that he loved to strum the strings of. She'd also sung him to sleep until the age of eleven.

Robbie was destined for music. It was obvious and he'd been borne to the right woman. That made Shelby a proud woman. It helped her know she'd made the right decision in keeping him. If anyone could help him get to his musical dreams, it was her.

He was an amazingly talented child, but, like most artists, he was misunderstood. That was noticeable when he began going through the stage of adolescence. His ways of expression seemed a bit extreme to conservatives. Sometimes, Shelby even had to wonder what was going through his mind.

Shelby heard the door to their apartment close from the kitchen. A wall closed the door off from view, but it was an open kitchen. Once twelve year-old Robbie passed the separating wall, Shelby could see him passing by through the opening above the dishwasher. She smiled, hearing him come in.

After a few moments, she noticed he didn't come in to say hello. She glanced behind her, away from the stove, to see where he was. Robbie's hood was up, covering his face.

"What? Not going to say hello to your mother?" she said, turning toward the entry way. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning on her right foot.

Robbie stopped dead. He didn't move for a long moment. Shelby watched him, quirking an eyebrow. Her son never hesitated to give her hug.

Head down, Robbie ambled over to her warily. Shelby watched him intently. This was odd behavior for her son. Robbie always held his head high with confidence and walked with pride. She had noticed that her son had a, to say the least, large ego. He had to be the best no matter what it was.

Shelby pulled the boy into a hug. His head rested on her chest. He still hadn't hit his growth spurt, so she still maintained a height advantage.

"Hi, mom," he greeted sweetly. His mother's smile returned for a brief moment, but her mind was not eased. Why was Robbie behaving this way?

"Hey, sweetheart. How was school?" Shelby asked. Her hand lifted up to her son's hood.

"It was fine," he answered.

"Oh?"

Shelby pulled off Robbie's hood and lifted his head by the chin. She initially thought it was blood that surrounded his eye and this made her heart pound. She used her thumb to wipe it away and it smeared onto his cheek. Robbie looked down, a bit embarrassed. Shelby sighed in relief, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Have you been in my make-up?" she asked.

"Me and the guys were just experimenting with looks," he muttered. Shelby turned off the stove and led the adolescent boy to the bathroom. She lowered the lid on the toilet and sat him down. She picked out a few Q-tips and a bottle of baby oil. Robbie watched her intently, wondering why they still had baby oil in their home.

Shelby dipped the Q-tip in the oil.

"Close your eye," she commanded sternly. Robbie sighed and obeyed. Shelby crouched down, balancing on the balls of her feet. Starting from edge of the eyelid, she stroked out away from his eye, the red eyeliner coming off. She did this repeatedly. "So, suspended?"

"What makes you think I'm suspended?" he asked.

"School rules. I read them as did you when you signed to abide by them. You remember that?"

Robbie nodded softly.

"I don't see what the big deal is. So, I put make up on to express my uniqueness. Big deal."

"Are you transsexual?" Shelby asked suddenly.

"No."

"Not that it's a bad thing. I'm just wondering. So, you did this as a way of artistic expression?"

"Yes." Shelby sighed, pausing in wiping off his eye. She looked into his only open eye.

"Robert, stick to music. Work on your image later."

Robbie chuckled.

"Yes, ma'am."

"God, I'm gonna be late to work, cleaning this up," Shelby whispered. Robbie glanced down sadly.

"I'm sorry," Robbie apologized. His mother looked at his full face instead of just his eye. She smiled softly.

"It's okay, baby. It gives me time to spend with you. Did you do your homework? Oh, wait, suspension."

"I had a lot of time before I came home. One of the kids in my class text it to me."

"Well, that's good."

Once most of the eyeliner was gone, Shelby soaked a wash rag with warm water and dabbed his eye and the area around it. When she felt she was finished, she requested he open his eye. Robbie looked at her with both eyes, blinking his right eye rapidly before adjusting. She smiled.

"Much better," she said. "So, wanna come to work with me?"

Shelby had found a job working at Carmel High School as the coach of their Glee club a several years earlier. It paid well, getting her and her son through the year with ease. She had practically put Vocal Adrenaline through rehabilitation. Now, they were the team to beat, winning Nationals back-to-back for the last two years. Shelby's first year had been the only year they hadn't won with her as coach and even then, they made it to second without a hitch.

She worked her kids every school day from the end of the school day at 2:30 to midnight. If they wanted to be in Vocal Adrenaline, they had to work their asses off and their parents knew that. Her students weren't weak. Not if she had anything to do with it. Her kids were the best, so she expected the best.

"Yeah. I haven't been for a long while," Robbie answered. Robbie's schedule was often as jam packed as his mother's. He had ballet classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school. On Tuesday and Thursday, he had solo vocal lessons with a teacher that Shelby had specifically chosen. He also had his own glee club to take part in. From 5:30 to 7, Robbie spent time on his homework. At 7, he joined his mother at Carmel High School for dinner. That's when she allowed her students to have a break. Right before the break was over, Shelby returned her son to their apartment where he finished up his homework and then went to bed. They mostly spent time together in the morning, at dinner, and on the weekends during the school year.

"You're right. And you haven't met the new kids, yet," Shelby replied. It was rare for freshman to receive a spot in her glee club. They were much too immature for Shelby to deal with, lacking too much self-control for her taste.

Robbie nodded his affirmation. He stood up and looked into the mirror above the sink. His right eye had bits of faded red around it, but that should have been fine. The Vocal Adrenaline kids rarely paid attention to the young man. He was a child in their eyes. He'd learned to sit back and observe.

Robbie led Shelby out of the bathroom. His mother flicked the lights off and left the room. She went to the kitchen, packing their dinner into Tupperware and a bag. Robbie took the bag to carry it out to the car. Shelby grabbed her keys and off they went.

The auditorium was already occupied by the talented students of Vocal Adrenaline when they arrived. Although the students sat in three rows all together, they obviously were cliqued. That was inevitable, Shelby had learned. But nonetheless, together, they were one soulless, singing, automaton unit, just the way she trained. They were machines, cranking out perfect covers of popular songs like a hit factory. That was their job and they knew it.

Shelby sat at her director's table, taking off her jacket and placing it on the back of her chair.

"On stage," she commanded, not looking at her students. Robbie sat in the seat by hers. He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. "Sit up," he heard his mother whisper in the same tone she had used toward the glee club. Robbie obeyed, sitting up, straightening his back.

* * *

><p>"What do you think?" Shelby asked, digging her fork into her salad. Robbie enjoyed the crunch of the lettuce in the Tupperware. He swirled his fork around in his chicken alfredo. Robbie loved Italian food. It was rare that he ate pasta with a cheese or cream sauce. He enjoyed the occasions greatly.<p>

"They're amazing. There's no way they could be anything but. They're under your direction," Robbie commented before taking a mouthful of pasta. He glanced up at her, licking his lips.

"Very good point," Shelby chuckled at his compliment. Robbie smiled, knowing that he'd pleased her. But he was correct. Shelby would have nothing beneath perfection. That was the way it worked. Robbie even tried to live by this standard.

Several seats behind them plunked. Mother and son looked behind them at the students who had taken a seat. Two young women and a young man. One girl had brown skin, her dark hair long and wavy. The other was pale, blonde hair straightened down her back. The boy had a load of curly hair on his head, brilliant blue eyes on the younger boy in front of him. A charming smile played on his lips.

"Giselle, Mariah, Jesse, can I help you?" Shelby asked.

"Only by introducing us to your adorable son," Giselle said. Robbie noted the enthusiasm in her voice. She almost sounded as if she were kissing up. It was a bit annoying.

"This is Robbie. Robbie, this is Giselle, Mariah, and Jesse. Jesse and Giselle are new this year."

"He's adorable," Mariah said.

"Kind of like a mini Jesse," Giselle noted, looking back and forth between the two males. "I mean look at all that hair on his head. And he definitely looks like quite the charmer. Planning on coming to Carmel when you hit high school?"

Robbie nodded. He looked at Jesse. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the comparison between him and the older boy. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because he felt trapped by it suddenly. Like he would be typecast by it.

"Planning on being in Vocal Adrenaline?" Mariah asked.

"That's the plan," Shelby answered for her son. "He's certainly got the talent."

Robbie smiled at the compliment. So, he was talented enough for her perfect glee club? He had the sign of approval?

"Oh, my gosh! Look at that smile!" Giselle exclaimed. Mariah giggled. Jesse made no response, foreseeing what was to be said. "He is so a mini Jesse. How old are you?"

"Twelve," Robbie asked, the discomfort coming over him again. He saw it overcome Jesse, too.

"So, he'll be here in two years? Perfect. You know, freshmen don't make it into Vocal Adrenaline much, but I believe you'll be an exception." Giselle turned her attention to Jesse. "He can carry on your legacy, Jesse."

Jesse stopped himself from arching an eyebrow. Legacy? Who said he would be leaving a legacy? Sure, Ms. Corcoran did often call him one of the most talented singers in Vocal Adrenaline, but he was still new, at the bottom of the pile. The seniors were first priority, weren't they? Mariah was a junior. Didn't she come before him as well? He seriously doubted he'd have a legacy as Giselle said. Besides, they hadn't even heard this kid sing.

Robbie forced a smile. He and Jesse seemed to be sharing the same sentiments.

"Sounds cute," Shelby stated, looking at the two young men. She did enjoy Jesse's star power and didn't look forward to him graduating in two years. The very same year Robbie would be attending Carmel as a freshman. Giselle's idea may not have been a bad one. "You three, get ready to practice."

The students nodded. Robbie noticed Jesse's relief and empathized. He seemed like a cool guy from what Robbie could tell.

"So, ready for your competition this weekend?" Shelby asked Robbie, going back to her salad. Robbie looked at her.

"Of course. We're expected to win," he replied. "You're coming, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: For those of you wondering, I will be including Rachel as well as the rest of the Glee club in this story. I think they show up in three more chapters.**

**I've Got You? Pt. 1**

The foyer was packed with people and the pedestrian traffic getting through was horrific, but Shelby was too proud to care much.

"You were wonderful!" she told him, causing a smile to arise. It was always amazing to receive a compliment on his talents from his mother. She was nothing but honest with him, so it made her praise all the more legitimate. Not to mention, she was an excellent judge of musical talent.

Shelby pulled the twelve year-old under her arm while the other kids seemed too embarrassed. The boy chuckled, wrapping an arm around his mother's waist.

"Just wait. Two years and you'll be in Vocal Adrenaline. So, how do we celebrate you're excellent, first place winning Seasons of Love solo?"

"It wasn't all me, mom," Robbie said humbly. He looked at the polished floor as if he were bashful or embarrassed.

"No, but you did put your team over the top with your solo."

Robbie chuckled as they continued toward the exit. His mother looked down at him, losing track of the crowds of people around the theater foyer.

"Shelby Corcoran?"

The proud mother looked up. Robbie paused, attention turning to a couple blocking their path. It was horrible enough trying to get through the large populace of the room, but now there was an actual roadblock.

His mother stopped in her tracks. She stared at the couple as they grew closer, her grip on Robbie's shoulder intensifying.

The couple wasn't familiar to the son. The woman was petite, shorter than him, while her husband stood taller than Shelby. Her blonde curls framed her lovely oval face, lips painted ruby red, eyes covered in blue shadow. Her husband pushed his glasses up the straight bridge of his nose. His blue eyes rested on Shelby while his wife's were dead on Robbie. The young boy ignored it.

"Can I help you?" Shelby asked, arching a single eyebrow.

"Hello. You may not remember us-"

"Oh, I remember you."

Robbie glanced at the hand on his shoulder, feeling her fingers dig through his shirt.

"What do you want?" Shelby asked.

"We were here to see the competition and noticed your son's last name in the program. We were wondering if he was the same boy from all those years ago," the husband explained before looking at Robbie. The boy glanced down immediately. "He seems to be. Look at that nose. Just like mine."

Robbie's eyebrow twitched and he felt himself tense just as strongly as his mother. The boy looked up at the husband through his eyelashes. The two men did have similar noses, straight and quite rounded with small nostrils. The shape of the eyes was the same. Robbie also discovered where he'd gotten those bushy eyebrows he constantly had to pluck and wax. That was sufficient enough to make Robbie dislike the man if it truly was his father.

Shelby glanced at her son who was unknowingly brushing his finger over his eyebrow. If she wasn't so worried, she'd have laughed.

"Wonderful job, especially during Seasons of Love. You have quite the voice for your age," the man's wife complimented. Robbie immediately brought his hand down from his face, hoping no one noticed.

"Thank you," the boy replied, not sure how else to respond.

"It was nice seeing you. Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to feed _my_ son."

Robbie noticed the emphasis she had placed on her possession.

"Maybe we can join you. Catch up," the man suggested. Robbie glanced at Shelby whose teeth seemed to clench with irritation.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she said vaguely. Robbie was confused as to what was going on. He was assuming the man was his father. That was obvious from the nose comment. That disturbed Robbie. Why was he suddenly at one of Robbie's competitions? It'd been twelve years. Why did he want to be in the boy's life? And the woman was obvious his wife. Why was she staring so intently at him? Was his mother tense because this was the first encounter with his father since his birth?

"Oh, come on, Shelby. We'd love to catch up."

"Let's cut to the chase. It's been twelve years. You're not taking my son."

"I believe that's his choice… or the court's. We had a contract. He's my son, too."

"Just because you contributed a few chromosomes doesn't make you a father. You and your wife abandoned him when I was five months pregnant. After you discovered he was a boy. You broke the contract. I paid for the rest of the hospital bills. I gave birth to him. I raised him. You have no right to him," Shelby stated firmly.

Robbie looked directly up at his mother for the first time in the conversation. His eyes burned as he teared up. He held them back, though, not blinking, the air causing his eyes to burn even more.

"Contract?" he managed. He was afraid his voice would crack if he said more. Shelby looked at him, almost as if startled by his voice.

"You never told him the circumstances of his conception? Bad mother," the man said.

"Robbie, I'll explain later."

"Explain it now," Robbie demanded.

"Not here," Shelby replied sternly. Robbie looked to the floor, returning to silence. A searing hot tear fell from his eye, immediately falling to the marble floor. He wiped his eyes swiftly. The man – his father – noticed.

He pulled out a business card and handed it to Robbie. The boy looked it over, reading off the name. Richard Cassidy.

Shelby watched her son intently. He made no aggressive response toward the card. He read it and pocketed it.

"This isn't over," Richard said to Shelby before he and his wife walked away. Robbie watched them through his eyelashes.

"Let's go home," Shelby said. She attempted a one-armed hug, but Robbie quickly escaped her embrace and began walking to their car. Shelby sighed. His triumphant victory had been dashed by the tragic revelation of his conception. The day was ruined.

* * *

><p>When they arrived home, Robbie went straight to his room, closing the door behind him. Shelby sighed again, placing her purse on the couch. She took off her jacket and placed it on the coatrack by the door.<p>

The car ride had been silent. Robbie had stared blankly out the window at the boring landscape of Lima. Shelby had decided to leave him alone to cool off before explaining.

She cooked dinner, knowing her son would be hungry. He had skipped breakfast due to nerves and lunch was a no, seeing as it would be bad for his voice. He was running on room temperature bottles of water.

When she finished, it was nearing 8pm. Shelby sighed, walking to her son's room. She knocked.

"Baby, dinner's ready," she called. No answer. She heard no movement inside. She waited a few moments. "Robbie?" She opened his door and looked inside. Her son was inside, lying on his bed. His back was to the room, body curled up. His breathing moved him rhythmically. An earbud hung over his shoulder and she could faintly hear punk rock emitting from it.

Shelby walked to his bedside and took his iPod. She turned it off and placed it on the dresser against the wall. She stroked his messy black hair, moving some of it away from his eyes. There were dried tear stains running down his cheeks.

His mother bit the inside of her lip sadly before pulling his camouflage comforter over Robbie. She kissed his temple before leaving his bedroom.

A horrible feeling of guilt came over Shelby. Her son was so upset.

Robbie had gone to sleep, going 24 hours without food in his distress.


	4. Chapter 4

**I've Got You? Pt. 2**

"I'm glad you called, Robbie," Richard said with a smile. Robbie glanced around the diner nervously. He had decided to give Richard a call after a day of silence with his mother. He wanted to know why he and his wife had suddenly appeared in his life especially if what his mother said was correct. But he hadn't told his mother. Whenever someone rose from their table or passed by the window, Robbie feared it was Shelby.

"I can't stay long. I have a vocal lesson in a half an hour," Robbie muttered, looking down at the table.

"Vocal lessons? For a voice like that?" Richard said. Robbie stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Everyone said that. Yes, he was a naturally talented singer, but he still needed to learn control, pitch, vibrato, etc. His mother understood that.

"Yes. It's not perfected, yet," the boy replied patiently. "That's not what we're here for. I came to ask about you and your wife."

Richard's smile grew and Robbie caught a hint of self-righteousness. If he thought he had Robbie in the palm of his hand, he was mistaken greatly. Robbie was no one's fool.

"Where are you from?" Robbie began.

"New York." Mistake number one. So, they'd only come to get Robbie from Shelby. There was no way they were just passing through.

"New York? What were you doing out here?"

"Tourists. We'd lived here before you were born. We moved to New York a year later. A nice home near Broadway. Ellen enjoys the shows." Robbie's eyes lit up with wonder, but he tried to hide his dreamy disposition.

"Any other kids?"

"No, but we do own two dogs." Mistake number two, although he did love dogs. More proof that the Cassidy's only wanted to take Robbie from his mother.

"Must be nice."

"Well, Ellen's always wanted kids."

Robbie nodded, but made no other response.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No. Not good for my vocal chords unless it's room temperature. I actually should get going. I have a few blocks to walk."

"Your mother isn't coming to get you?"

Robbie shook his head.

"She's at work. I'm usually on my own after school."

"That's terrible. A child like you should always have a parent around." Mistake number three. Insulting his mother's parenting.

"She's available. She works at a high school. I can go see her when I want without trouble." Robbie stood up and pulled on his backpack. "Later." The boy left the diner before his father could stand to say bye. He rushed out of the diner. Being there had been utterly awkward and had made his heart race, mainly because he'd feared his mother catching him although he knew she was at work.

* * *

><p>Shelby walked with a hurried pace into her apartment. She tossed her purse onto a nearby chair.<p>

"Robert Lucas!" she called. Robbie had heard the aggressive clicking of her heels as she entered the apartment. He sat up when she spoke, though, not responding beforehand. The use of his first and middle name always signified trouble.

Shelby looked over at the couch as her son's head popped up. She strutted over to him. Robbie recognized the look of rage on her face.

"You missed your vocal lesson," Shelby said through clenched teeth. Robbie nodded. "Do you know how many people want to have vocal lessons, solo vocal lessons from Henri? You're lucky that he does this for free and you skip out."

"I wasn't feeling well," Robbie lied, sitting up more to show that he was in an overly large sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. His hair was messier than usual and she could tell it was damp from what she thought was sweat. His eyes were red and puffy. These were the first words he'd said to her in twenty-four hours.

Shelby nodded.

"You shouldn't have gone to school today," she said, going around the couch to sit by him. Her tone was obviously much calmer and more understanding of the circumstance. Too bad her son's story was false.

Shelby noticed that he had a book in his hand. A biography on Bob Focsi.

"We never got to talk the other day," Robbie stated, placing the book on the coffee table. He sat up a bit more against the arm of the couch. He folded his arms over his chest.

"You're right. We didn't," his mother said softly. They fell into silence. Robbie stared at her as Shelby's eyes focused on the couch. He wondered if she was trying to figure out what to say or how to explain twelve years of lies to him.

"So? What did they mean 'contract'?" Robbie finally asked to guide her through the conversation. He didn't like the awkward silence. He didn't like waiting.

Shelby took in a deep breath, preparing her answer.

"I was twenty-three years-old with plans to go to New York. Broadway dreams. I didn't lie about that." She sighed. This is where the story changed. "I needed money and I found out you were paid well to be a surrogate mother. Well enough to get me to New York and a place to stay. Richard Cassidy and his wife hired me to have you." She left out the story of her first job, the tale of the adorable baby girl she missed.

Robbie looked at his knees, thinking that over. How did he feel about her having him only to get paid and get lost? That obviously wasn't what happened, but it was her initial intent. That said a lot, didn't it? Did she take him in because she felt like she had to or because she pitied him?

"When I got the sonogram showing your gender, they backed out of their contract. They wanted a girl. They stopped paying the hospital bills. They stopped contacting me. It was just me and you after that. Just like it is now."

"Why'd you keep me?" he asked. "You could have just put me up for adoption or aborted. It wasn't like I was yours."

"That's not true. You're my son. You were then and you are now. You hold a special part of me, both biologically and emotionally."

Robbie glanced up at her sternly. She gave him the same expression. He understood it then.

"Okay." He paused. "Can we meet Mr. Cassidy and his wife for dinner tomorrow?" Robbie asked. Shelby arched an eyebrow questioningly, hiding her disdain at the idea. "Please?"

"Fine," his mother replied reluctantly. He could hear the strain in her voice. "Call Mr. Cassidy and set it up. I'm going to make you some soup." She kissed his forehead, standing up. "And then it's off to bed with you. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

* * *

><p>"So, why is it you called us here, Robbie? You obviously knew this meeting would be," Richard paused, eyes focusing on Shelby, "awkward to say the very least." The older man was right. The dinner had been tense with Robbie doing most of the talking about school, his friends, and music. Shelby occasionally spoke to give him a few vocal pointers which he took graciously. Richard also spoke at times to boost the boy's ego.<p>

"You're right. I did know this," Robbie said. He wiped his lips with his napkin before setting it down on his empty plate. "I wanted to set things straight about this whole situation."

"Set things straight?" Richard repeated. Robbie nodded solemnly.

"You've come to take custody of me. It's quite obvious. I mean, you did plan me, paid to have me planted, etcetera. It's only natural I guess." Robbie caught the flicker of hope in the man's eyes then the disappointment in his mother's. "I never want to see you again," the preteen said harshly. His eyes darkened in anger.

"Excuse me?" Richard said, shocked, leaning forward. Shelby looked just as shocked, but there was a sense of joy in her eyes unlike the rage in Richard's.

"I'm not stupid. Not genetically, nor did my mother bring me up to be an idiot. I've been in the Ohio state newspaper three times in the last six months for my singing voice. You obviously came to get me because of my talents. My genes were the only way you could tie yourself to me. You figured you could get me angry enough at my mom to make me wanna leave. As if you could raise me. You wouldn't know what to do with this voice. You'd kill it before it got the chance to live. Besides, you gave me up merely because I was a boy. Mom kept me even though she was paid to give birth to me, giving up her dreams. That says a lot about her. I'm staying with my mom, Mr. Cassidy. And if you take it to court, I will tell them how you insulted my mother's parenting and how you bribed me. Now, I'm going to demand you leave me and my mother alone. I don't want you anywhere near me or her. I've made my decision."

Shelby's eyebrows arched with shock at the eloquence of her son. Robbie leaned back, slouching, his proper approach finished. He crossed his right leg over his left, waiting. Richard scoffed indignantly, not believing the insolence.

"You're nothing but a boy. You don't get to decide."

"Oh, I do, don't I? That's what you've been encouraging. It's why you wanted me to get angry with my mom. It's so I would choose you. Now that I haven't, you don't want me to have a right to choose. Well, excuse my language, but screw you and get the Hell out of my life. I don't need you."

Richard stared at Robbie with surprise. Robbie stared him down.

The older man finally stood. His wife looked at him in disbelief. A child was running him off. Richard pulled out his wallet and dropped a roll of money onto the table. Robbie and Shelby looked at it as the Cassidy's walked out of the restaurant. Shelby looked at Robbie.

"I'm proud of you," she said. Robbie smiled softly. He looked at their bill and then the money. He stood up.

"Let's go home." Shelby stood and glanced at the money. "I'd consider it dirty if we took it," Robbie confessed. Shelby nodded, exiting the booth. Robbie followed her. Wrapping their arms around one another, the mother and son left the small diner.

**OOC: So, I officially have season 1 with Robbie written. Once all of those are posted, it will take a while to write up season 2, because I have to find a way to watch them and then modify them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Bold Moves**

"Are you nervous?" Andre asked outside of the auditorium. Robbie ran his fingers through messy, almost Anime-like, black hair. He stared at the door, feeling his body vibrate with adrenaline which seemed so fitting. Auditioning for Vocal Adrenaline seemed to need adrenaline.

Robbie bounced on his toes excitedly, shaking out his gloved hands. His hair flopped up and down as he moved. He took deep breaths. Andre had to wonder why they were holding auditions at the beginning of the summer. But Robbie understood that practice would begin tomorrow. Rehearsal for the following year's Sectionals always started in the summer.

"Dude, are you?" Andre pushed. Robbie looked at him, coming out of his daze.

"Of course not. I'm ready," he replied, looking back at the door. He checked his watch for time. Three o'clock. Time to go in. There were already twenty kids in there, all older than him. He was only a freshman. The only one brave enough to audition at this age.

"Go get 'em, tiger," Andre said, opening the door. "I'll meet you at the courts later." Robbie nodded, going inside.

Robbie felt like he was going through American Idol auditions. Except Shelby Corcoran was a harder judge to impress. He'd never seen her crush people this brutally before. My God, did she do this every year? It was almost sad. Yeah, some of them couldn't sing, but – well, no. Robbie didn't believe in beating around the bush. Shelby had knocked that into him. She had to be honest. He accepted that.

He was last. He knew he would be. The director's son? It was only fair.

"Robert Corcoran!" Shelby called, keeping her stern voice, professional. She had to be. Robert stood up and went up the stage left stairs. He crossed the stage and sat at the piano. A few had played with their auditions, but not many. Robert was too musically educated not to.

"What will you be performing?" a high pitched, cheery voice asked. Robert looked at the director's table, eyes wide with shock. His mom was no longer at the table. She was sitting behind Giselle, Andrea, and the man himself, now a senior, a much more confident and egotistical Jesse St. James. Robert looked at Shelby and then the three seniors.

"Uh, Bohemian Rhapsody," Robbie replied. "Wh-"

"You didn't think Ms. Corcoran would be judging you, did you? That would be a bit unfair," Giselle said. She seemed a lot meaner than he'd remembered her being a year and a half ago. Meaner and somehow phonier.

"Of course not. Let us begin," Robbie said, turning properly to the piano. He hadn't established that his mother looked nervous. She would have advised a different song if she had known this was his plan. Or at least helped him. How was he going to pull this off?

Robbie took a deep breath, staring down at his fingers that hover over the piano keys. He cleared his voice, pressing into his first keys. Now was the time. His fingers moved with expertise over the monochromatic keys at a tempo a step slower than the actual song. Shelby arched an eyebrow. What was he doing?

"_Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Open your eyes, look up to the skies, and see_," he sang.

Jesse sat back in his seat, bringing the back of his pen to the tip of his lips. From what Shelby had told them, Robbie was more of a punk rock kind of singer like Brendon Urie or Billie Joe Armstrong. She also mentioned an indie rock band by the name of Forgive Durden and their lead singer, Thomas Dutton. Urie and Dutton were her main references. But at the moment he sounded like he was mixing genres. Like he was the love child of rock and R&B. The way he rifted at the end of each line, in each word, the perfected vibrato in the proper place, how smoothly each line came out, but the rasp that put an edge to his voice. It was a sound unlike anything Jesse had ever heard.

"_I'm just a poor boy; I need no sympathy, because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low. Anyway the wind blows doesn't really matter to me_," Robbie continued, smoothly transitioning into a punker voice. How was the kid transitioning this easily? And how did he combine each voice to make them sound good? It was rare. Jesse wanted to say unnatural. "_Mama, just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead. Mama, life had just begun, but now I've gone and thrown it all away. Mama, didn't mean to make you cry. If I'm not back again this time tomorrow, carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters._"

Robbie came to the end of the chord and paused, rearranging his fingers. He pressed the new chords excitedly, bringing looks of shock to his audience's faces. There was no time for him to sing the whole song and he realized that. So, he'd had to change things up a bit.

"_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye? So you think you can love me and leave me to die? Oh, baby_," There were those rifts again, "_can't do this to me, baby. Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here._" Robbie's fingers rapidly moved over the keys without thought. It was almost a reflex now he had practiced so much. His fingers finally slowed down, though, his eyes watching them critically as if to command them not to screw up. "_Nothing really matters, anyone can see._" His returned to its original sound, the mixture of genres. "_Nothing really matters. Nothing really matters to me._" He played the last few keys on the piano. "_Anyway the wind blows._"

Robbie moved his fingers from the piano. He looked at the four in the house, standing to his feet. Some of his black hair had fallen over his right eye as it often did when he straightened it out. He noticed their looks of shock. He couldn't tell if it was from his musical modification or from disbelief of his voice.

"I figured I'd shorten the song. I can't sing the whole thing," he explained almost arrogantly. He smiled and chuckled a bit.

"Welcome to Vocal Adrenaline," Jesse said, standing to his feet, preparing to leave. Giselle and Andrea looked at Jesse with a mix of outrage and shock. How dare he decide without consulting them? Shelby looked him, surprised by his sudden decision.

Robbie smiled, this time graciously.

"Thanks," Robbie said. He crossed the stage to leave.

"Um, excuse me? You didn't even consult us," Giselle whispered.

"You heard him. He's the best we've heard all day. And besides, you were the one who said he was my mini me," Jesse murmured, pulling his messenger bag over his head. He left the aisle and walked around front to leave. He passed Robbie on his way. "See you at practice tomorrow. Gotta get ready for Sectionals, huh?"

Robbie looked at him as he passed and nodded exuberantly, almost as if he were meeting a hero.

"Yeah," he answered. Jesse smiled, heading out of the emergency door. Robbie went back to the seat he'd been sitting in as he'd waited to audition. Shelby sauntered over, folder under her arm, as Giselle and Andrea headed out of the back doors. She smiled at him.

"That was daring," she said. Robbie nodded his agreement. "Welcome to Vocal Adrenaline."

**OOC: Well, no Glee this week, but you do get a Robbie update, albeit a short one. But don't worry, next week's will be longer and I have a gift for you guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**OOC: Well, here's your surprise!**

**Hello**

The two looked almost like brothers now. Had since the beginning of the school year. It had been the other Vocal Adrenaline members' doing. Robbie was no longer allowed to press his hair. He kept it wavy. They had tried to cut it so it was the same length as Jesse's, but he'd absolutely refused. So he kept his to the base of his neck while Jesse's stopped an inch or so below his ears. Robbie's was also still black; he'd refused to dye it. Robbie even dressed like him a bit, though they'd already had similar taste in clothes which was basically anything black, though Robbie would honestly prefer blue jeans over black, but he did what he had to. He took the liberty of wearing more rocker tees, though.

Today, Jesse's hair was waved to the sides, the right side coming down over his forehead more so than the left. Robbie always wore his differently. While both rocked the dark, edgy look, Robbie was always the more wild of the two. His hair fell casually over his eye, the rest naturally falling and fraying out where it felt right. But the outfit was the same. Jesse had taken it upon himself to go clothes shopping with the freshman boy the first week of school which Shelby was happy to allow him.

As Jesse had gotten older, he'd become accustomed and grown fond of the idea of having a mini him. Robbie would be perfect. He certainly had the talent, the smashing good looks, the style, the charm, the wit, the sarcasm. It was all there for when he left Carmel.

"Why are we at the library again?" Robbie asked, nonchalantly pulling a book from a nearby shelf as he followed behind Jesse St. James. He looked over the cover and back quickly, uninterested, before placing it back in its place. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his distressed jacket, keeping up with the senior boy. Unlike Jesse, his hoodie was zipped up. It was taking all of his might not to pull up the hood.

"Because you need to pass geometry," Jesse deadpanned, going down the aisle. He didn't bother to look back at Robbie who sighed, pulling the strap of his backpack onto his shoulder again. The younger boy glanced around the aisle at the shelves.

"Then why are we in the music library?" he asked in the same tone. Jesse's eyes narrowed, but he quickly changed his expression to look back at Robbie.

"I was looking for a book. I have to find something to do while you finish your homework. Why don't you go find a table? I'll be there in a moment."

Robbie sighed again, squeezing past Jesse. He left the aisle into the open center of the library. He found a table near the unused piano and took a seat. He tossed his backpack onto the table. He opened the bag, pulling his homework out. There was something he just couldn't get about Geometry. He could do any other type of math, but Geometry gave him Hell.

Once at the correct page, Robbie looked up, tapping his pencil on the page, resting his cheek on his free hand. Robbie gazed around the room, eyes landing on a girl around his age. The tapping of his pencil slowed. She was gorgeous. Dark, long hair. Full lips. She wasn't wearing a lot of make-up. He could respect that in a girl. Natural beauty was highly underrated these days.

He placed his hands on the table, preparing to stand and talk to her. She was into music. He could easily converse about that. Then Jesse stepped in front of her. His lips parted in disdain, teeth clenched. Of course, Jesse would get there first. Robbie flopped back down, watching them. She seemed… dazzled by him. Almost like Bella was by Edward. Wow. Had he really just made that reference? He would have to shoot himself later.

Looking at her lips as she spoke, Robbie noticed she was stuttering. Yup, definitely dazzled. And she seemed to have heard about Mr. St. James which means she was familiar with Vocal Adrenaline. Robbie recognized the nonchalant way Jesse sauntered away from her. He'd done it to Robbie many times to give more power to his words. What had he said to her?

Now that Robbie looked at her again, he recognized her. He'd seen her perform at a sectional this year, quite recently in fact. He and Jesse had gone to see the competition. Rachel Berry from McKinley High. What was their glee club's name? New Directions? Yeah, that was it. Damn. Now he was really mad Jesse had gotten to her first.

He watched Rachel follow the senior boy as if she were a lost puppy having found a new master. Past the shelves, Robbie watched them as Jesse looked over them, her behind him in awe of – what? His perfection? Robbie could only imagine. He was kind of jealous. Even though he was Jesse's apprentice, he wasn't praised like the older guy and it was what he was waiting for. That love, that attention. He even got the sense his mother wanted him to be Jesse.

Jesse took a seat at the piano. Robbie arched a brow, standing up without realizing it. He walked over to them, stopping at the other side of the piano bench. He looked over Jesse at Rachel.

"Here? I'm kind of nervous," she said. Robbie heard a slight stutter. Rachel glanced up at him, surprised to find him standing there. Robbie smiled softly at her to ease her nerves. No one that talented should be nervous, no one that in tune with their talent. She had performed in front of hundreds. This was merely a library. He and Jesse could do this in their sleep. This was nothing.

Jesse sighed, looking at the music stand.

"I remember when I used to get nervous," he said nostalgically. Robbie highly doubted he'd ever been nervous before, though. Jesse looked at his apprentice. "You remember that feeling, Robbie?" Robbie kept his eyes on Rachel, smile still planted on his face. He leaned on the piano.

"Of course," Robbie said simply. He had learned that, when playing wingman, keep your answers short and to the point.

Jesse turned his focus back to Rachel who was looking back nervously.

"Come on. I do this all the time. I like to give impromptu concerts to the homeless. It's so important to give back."

Robbie arched an eyebrow questioningly. He didn't know how that persuasion even fit. There were no homeless people here. But he knew what Jesse was trying to do and it was obvious that this girl would be persuaded by nearly anything Jesse said. So, he fixed his face so she didn't notice it and second guess. Jesse would've been angry about that.

Rachel nodded her agreement and Jesse began to play "Hello" by Lionel Richie.

* * *

><p>Robbie still couldn't believe Jesse had gotten this solo. He sounded like he strained whenever he sang rock music unlike Robbie who was a natural rock singer.<p>

AC/DC! Fricking AC/DC!

And Robbie had to sit back and play back up singer and dancer. His mother knew he could pull this off way better than Jesse St. fricking James. That was the difference between the two young men. As a sophomore, Jesse had been afraid of even thinking of stealing a solo from a senior. As a freshman now, Robbie couldn't care less. He knew what he was more talented at, what he deserved. He certainly should've gotten this solo.

But he played his part, running out when necessary, taking center stage in front of Jesse on the step below. It was practice and he'd allowed the neat style of his hair to sweat out. Now it fell naturally as he preferred it, though he wished it were pressed. He did the choreography created by Dakota Stanley to perfection. Thank God, Andre had spent three years before high school working on Robbie's dancing, though it had mainly been hip-hop.

Robbie stopped behind Jesse for the eighth time that rehearsal, slightly off to his right. In step with the others, he moved back onto his left foot, looking back, flames jetting up around the stage. He could feel them from upstage and it made him sweat a bit. He clenched his teeth, trying not to breathe too heavily.

"Stop, please. Dear God, just stop," he heard his mother say. He sighed silently. 'Dear God' was right. He turned with the others, folding his arms over his chest. He licked his lips, sniffing lightly. "Seriously, guys? It's like watching beige paint dry. Can everyone please look at Jesse and Robert? Robert, move up next to Jesse."

Robbie glanced at Jesse before following her demand. The senior had his hands on his hips, weight mainly on his right side. The two young men looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes, preparing for whatever she had them do.

"Jesse, Robert, give us a show face," Shelby requested, pointing her pen at the two. Robbie rolled his eyes, but both he and Jesse gave the biggest, cheesiest smiles they could muster. Ones that caused their whole bodies to tense to nearly a tremor and their cheeks to hurt. "Those are show faces, guys." The two dropped the faces quickly. God, that hurt. Shelby had taught Robbie to do that when he was three. "You want to look so talented, it's literally hurting you." _No understatement_, Robbie thought. "I want a look that's so optimistic, it could cure cancer!" Robbie couldn't stop his eyes from widening. That was a bit much. But he immediately went into the smile with the rest of his team. Shelby clapped. "That's what I'm talking about. Take five, everybody. Drink a Red Bull."

Her son arched an eyebrow. No way in Hell. Where was his tea? Robbie walked backstage with the rest of the mumbling glee club. He picked up his thermos that he'd placed on a prop table that was already set there. He walked back on stage, hoping to talk to his mother.

He took a sip of his tea, finding her speaking to a man. He looked at him suspiciously, bringing his thermos from his lips. He walked to the edge of the stage, almost attempting to eavesdrop. Oh, who was he kidding? He was trying to eavesdrop, but they were much too far.

Robbie crossed his arms over his chest, the thermos pressed firmly against his forearm. He narrowed his eyes which were focused on the mysterious man, his eyebrows knitted together. He was particularly protective of his mother, though there wasn't much he could do about it. She was a grown woman and she really didn't need to explain her own personal actions to her son if they didn't affect him which, for now, they didn't. But they certainly disgusted him and they made him less fond of when she spoke to men. As a child, he'd been excited when something like this happened, hoping, praying she'd find him a new father. But now he was fourteen. They'd made it this far with only each other. They didn't need anyone else.

* * *

><p>"You're late," Robbie deadpanned as his mother walked into the apartment. His eyes remained focused on the book in his hand. He closed it after finishing one last sentence. He slammed it down onto the couch, standing at the same time. "Though, I must admit, you're earlier than you usually are when you go on these little enemy excursions." The deadpan was gone. The anger was clear.<p>

Shelby looked at her son, amused. Ever since he'd entered high school, Robbie had suddenly seen himself as the man of the house, needing to protect Shelby as part of the job. When he got angry at her over things she did as if he were the parent, she thought it was adorable, but it irritated her a lot more.

Along with his "man of the house" attitude, a few other things had changed about him that Shelby still hadn't grown used to. The first was his voice which had matured a few months after Richard Cassidy and his wife disappeared from their life. It almost reminded her of a deeper Zac Efron which was kind of weird some times.

After the voice came the body. He had grown six inches in two years, making him five inches taller than her and still growing. That was always a shock whenever she found herself staring up at him. She'd always had to look down until his thirteenth birthday. And then the baby fat shed, leaving only muscle from constant walking around the city or dancing with his friend, Andre. On Saturday mornings, he now walked to the gym ten blocks away and worked out. Her little boy was becoming a man. Quite a lean one, too. Her punk rocker with the face of a pretty boy and body of an athlete.

"You're going to reprimand me? Who's the parent here? It's 1 AM, you have school in the morning, and you've had a hard day of rehearsal. Get to bed, seeing as you're already prepared to," Shelby said. She was right. Robbie was only in his sweats.

He sighed, knowing she was going to change subjects on him or completely end the conversation. Not this time. He would say what he had to and be done.

"William Shuester, director of New Directions at McKinley High, our new competition if you can even call them that. If anything, our only competition is Rachel Berry in that group and Jesse seems to have her under his thumb," Robbie began sternly, standing his ground, listing off the facts effortlessly. "Pretty girl, too. Kind of mad Jesse got there first." Shelby's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly hid her fright. "But that's not the point. Why do you do this? Why can't you just come home like always? Practice ends at midnight. Every time you meet a male glee director, you go off to make out with him or maybe worse. I try not to think that far. Can't you save that until after I graduate, mom?"

"Robbie, I haven't had a date in months."

"Making out isn't a date, mom," Robbie groaned, pacing around in a small circle in front of her. "And that last guy you dated was a tool anyway."

"You nearly stabbed him with a butter knife."

"It slipped out of my hand! An accident! That's not the point. If you're gonna date, then date. Don't serial make out with people. It's weird. Especially when you're out until 2 AM. Can you just do that for me?"

"Fine," Shelby gave in, but only so he'd go to bed. Robbie recognized that. He sighed.

"Seriously, mom. Promise me," he said. Shelby grabbed his shoulders.

"I promise." She leaned up on her tip-toes and kissed his forehead. "Good night." Robbie sighed and nodded. He sidestepped to the couch. He leaned over the furniture and grabbed his book. He headed for his room.

"Good night, mom."

**OOC: Did you enjoy it? Look who has come to our story!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Dream On**

"Enjoying being Jesse?" Giselle taunted for the millionth time in nearly three months. Robbie glanced up from stretching and chuckled. Giselle had been utterly if not totally distraught when Jesse left Carmel and, more importantly, Vocal Adrenaline to join Rachel Berry at McKinley with her "squad of losers", New Directions. What made her angrier was that Robbie was now their lead singer. A freshman as lead? It was outrageous.

"You made me his legacy, remember?" Robbie replied flippantly. She scoffed, stomping off. It gave Robbie such satisfaction to do that. Even though he had taken Jesse's spot, Robbie no longer acted like him. He was taking on his real identity slowly but surely, but he kept Jesse's dismissive and cool attitude to hold everyone's confidence in him. If he reminded them a little of Jesse, they'd continue to trust his mother's choice, yet if he acted himself, they'd get used to the real Robbie as well. It was a win-win deal.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's get to work!" Shelby called, entering the theater. Robbie smiled, standing to his feet. While the other students were cliqued up, Robbie really had no friends. He only hung out with Andre on the weekends to work out and dance since he wasn't in Vocal Adrenaline. And in the almost year he'd been here, his only company had been Jesse, though he knew everyone's name. In all honesty, it had been lonely without his senior mentor. But hey, it was lonely at the top, right? Robbie was learning that.

* * *

><p>Robbie walked in, sweat dripping down his face from a long day of working out and dance lessons from Andre. Those were starting to become less and less frequent now with regionals coming soon and Andre's own schedule. He was out of breath from so much exercise, his duffel bag hanging from his shoulder.<p>

"Hey, mom, I'm… home." His tone dropped as he closed the door behind him. "What's Jesse doing here?" The only idea Robbie could come up with was that Shelby had actually sent him to spy on the McKinley kids, using his girlfriends as the way in. But that was low for his mother, pathetic. They were barely competition. At least send a spy to a real competitor.

Robbie looked from Jesse to Shelby. Her car keys were in her hand, her jacket hanging over her arm. She was preparing to leave. Were they going somewhere together? No, Robbie, they're not dating; that's stupid.

"Going somewhere?"

Shelby looked at Jesse then Robbie. She sighed, taking a step forward. Robbie's eyes widened slightly. He stood firmly in place.

"Honey, the- there's something I need to tell you," Shelby said. Robbie had never heard her stutter.

"Wha- What's wrong? Mom, what's happened?" he asked urgently, grabbing her hands.

"Go wash up. Then we'll go."

* * *

><p>Jesse re-entered the car, soaking wet. It had mad Robbie angry that the senior boy had sat in the passenger seat, leaving Robbie in the back, but that quickly went away when he realized they were at Rachel Berry's house. He didn't understand. Why were they dropping St. James off and waiting at his girlfriend's house? What did his mom have up her sleeve? Why was it so serious that she had to tell him something? What did Rachel have to do with this?<p>

"She has the tape," Jesse said once the door was closed. "She won't listen to it." He turned his head to look at her. Robbie looked up from his lap. Tape? What tape? Was this some sort of sabotage? This was going beyond low.

Robbie's head shot in Shelby's direction as she spoke. He felt like he was in some old mobster film.

"What?" she practically whispered. "She has to listen to it." Robbie sighed, hating being in the dark. He looked out the window at the heavy rain. He crossed his arms over his chest, feeling the anger build in him. He hated secrecy. Always had, but now it reminded him of when he'd found out he'd been a baby of contract, not necessarily of love. "That's the point of all this."

"I'm doing my best," Jesse pushed. "Look, when you told me to seduce her-"

"'Befriend her' was the word I used actually," Shelby corrected, looking at Jesse. Robbie's eyebrows knitted again. His mom had known about this? Even before they'd met Rachel? Jesse was two years older than her. Robbie was merely a year younger. Why hadn't she just asked him? Trusted him?

"Whatever," Jesse began. Robbie scoffed at the response. "The thing is I was into it, because I thought it would be a good acting exercise, but now, I kinda like her. I don't want her to get hurt."

"Look, one more week, this will be all be done, you can come back to Vocal Adrenaline where you belong."

Robbie looked at Shelby wide-eyed. Not only had she planned for him to meet Rachel, but his quitting and transferring had been her idea, too? She had known Robbie's time as lead would be temporary? She'd set this up. If Jesse returned, the kids in Vocal Adrenaline would disrespect him again. He'd be stuck in Jesse's shadow again. He didn't want to go back there. The thought made him seethe, clench his teeth. But he would remain silent. He would handle that trivial issue later.

"I don't understand why you don't just go up to her and say 'Hi, I'm Shelby; I'm your mom.'"

"I signed a contract," Shelby replied in a weary tone.

"She's what?" Robbie finally said, feeling his heart stop for a moment. Jesse had called Shelby Rachel's mom. That would make her Robbie's older sister. But Robbie had never known that. Contract meant either she was given up for adoption or was in the same situation as Robbie except her parents had kept her.

He felt his throat close up, his eyes burning and watering. He swallowed hard, looking back out the window. He bit his lip. He had a sister.

Shelby looked back at him, sighing, before looking back at Jesse. She had planned to tell him herself while Jesse was gone; she just hadn't found the right words. Jesse had said it all, though. There was nothing for Robbie to figure it out from those words.

"I can't contact her until she's eighteen," Shelby finished sternly. "She has to come to me. That's why she has to listen to the tape." She paused. "Once she hears it, she won't be able to sleep until she finds me."

At those words, Jesse and Robbie both looked at her. Robbie could hear the desperation in her voice. He'd never known her to want anything so badly in his fourteen years of life. It made him sad for her.

Shelby looked back at Robbie. He quickly looked down at the car floor, too – he didn't know what emotion he felt, but he couldn't look into her eyes at that moment, those same ones he had. Shelby knew her next words would resonate with her son, that it would answer a lot of questions.

"I answered an ad in the newspaper," she began, looking back at Jesse. Robbie glanced up again. "Nine months work here would make me enough money to go live in New York for two years. Her dads seemed like nice guys, so I went for it." She paused, no longer looking at them, and Robbie figured she was figuring out her next words. But when he looked at her, he knew she was containing her emotion. She and Robbie both hated being vulnerable toward people. "I never got to hold her." Another pause. Robbie felt a tear fall from his eye.

"And I only saw her for a second when they were cleaning her off. It was through a bunch of nurses, but she turned her head and looked at me." A longer pause. She chuckled, but Robbie heard a sniff mixed in. "I failed as an actress. My walls are lined with trophies instead of wedding pictures." She looked back at Robbie. "And yes, I got to keep my precious Robbie." She managed a smile, saying his name, as she reached back and caressed a tear from his cheek that threatened to fall. "But through all of that, I only have one regret." She looked back at Jesse, all aggression and persistence returned. "You get her to listen to that tape."

Jesse nodded obediently, preparing to go back out into the rain. Shelby smiled a bit, looking back at the steering wheel. She listened to Jesse get out of the car and looked up when the door shut. Robbie saw the tears in her eyes. Now it was just them again.

She looked back at the steering wheel before turning her focus to her son.

"Hey," she said softly. Robbie shook his head.

"We'll discuss it later."

He returned his gaze to the rain outside, listen to it hit the window.

* * *

><p>"You lied to me again," Robbie nearly shouted as Shelby closed the apartment door. The story had touched him, but the time had passed. Now his indignity had returned and he would tell her how he felt. "You kept another secret from me! You should have told me you had a child before me when I found out about my conception!" He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He released it slowly, pushing the air with his hands. "I am not twelve anymore. I can handle this more maturely," he said to himself. "How could you? Do you know how it makes me feel?<p>

"You're searching for this long lost daughter and you don't tell me. Am I not good enough for you? Did I mess up? Tell me what I'm doing wrong," he pleaded.

Shelby cupped his face, grabbing him by the cheeks gently. He looked down at her, feeling the tears fall from his eyes finally. They fell quickly and without ceasing.

"Robbie, you are perfect the way you are."

"Obviously, I'm not. You've made me to be like Jesse since I joined Vocal Adrenaline. And now you're looking for this daughter. Are you sick of me?" his voice cracked. He took in a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Robbie, you are the perfect son. I am sorry if it seems like I'm trying to make you Jesse. Honest to God, I am not." She kissed his forehead. "Rachel has always been my one regret even before you were born. And then I had you and I am so proud of what you've become. But sometimes I wonder what things would be like if I had the both of you, raised the both of you."

"So we're like the two different sides to a story. What happens when a family wants the surrogate child and what happens if they don't."

"Don't say that. You met the couple that hired me to have you. You had the right to get to know them and you chose no. Shouldn't Rachel have the chance to get to know me?" Shelby asked. Robbie sobbed and instantly regretted it. He hated himself for being so irrational.

Shelby pulled him into a hug.

"You promise she won't replace me?"

"I promise, Robbie. No one will ever replace my precious, baby boy."


	8. Chapter 8

**Theatricality**

How were you supposed to breathe in this thing? He felt like he was suffocating in this red suit and face mask. And his dancing felt so restrictive, but he ignored these small issues. Perfection was their goal. It was always the Vocal Adrenaline goal and, at that moment, he was the front man. If he messed up, it was obvious and he did not want his mother coming down on him for it. He always felt embarrassed and self-conscious. The others liked to use those types of things against him after rehearsals and during the school day.

"Okay, okay, enough" his mother announced, making wild gestures. She was frustrated. Robbie could tell. She had stuttered before her words escaped her lips, unsure of how to end this nightmare of a routine. "You guys aren't getting it." She stopped center stage, looking at her group of students. "You're letting the costumes do all of the work. Theatricality isn't about crazy outfits! It's not enough to douse yourself in gasoline. You have to light yourselves on fire to make it work. Being theatrical doesn't mean you have to be a nuclear explosion. It can be like," she paused for a second, "like a quiet storm. You just have to radiate emotion, express what's deep inside you. That's what theatricality is truly about." There was silence. "Do I have to demonstrate? Funny Girl, E-flat." She jabbed her thumb behind her, gesturing for her team to get off the stage. Robbie was the first to jump off and sat in the first row.

Robbie watched her with a look of absolute awe. His mother never ceased to astound him. He'd heard her sing this song hundreds of times, many of them to put him to sleep, and it never got tiring, never got less awe-inspiring. He always stared at her with parted lips, jaw slacked, and eyes widened slightly. There was a childlike quality to his expression, in his eyes. Nothing could take the focus from his talented mother.

"Ms. Corcoran," a voice said as the music was coming to an end. Robbie snapped out of his daze and his attention shifted to the young woman at the end of his row. "I'm Rachel Berry. I'm your daughter."

* * *

><p>"Did you ever regret it?"<p>

"Yes," Shelby paused, "then no. And so much."

Robbie fidgeted, crossing his legs in discomfort. His foot shook rapidly as a sign. He didn't know how to act in this situation. He wasn't used to sharing his mother's attention with a sibling. With other kids as a choir, sure, but never someone who shared blood with him. He suddenly felt very possessive of the woman sitting next to him.

"When did you realize it was the right time for me to find you?"

"I saw you sing at Sectionals. Extraordinary." The mother shrugged. "You were me." Robbie looked at the floor, still shaking out his foot. He was sure he'd never heard his mother tell him that. In fact, he'd never been compared to her.

"Was it hard for you to not become a star?" Rachel asked. "To not have your dreams come true?"

The son's eyes shot to his mother. That was an interesting question he had never bothered to ask. Part of him had never wanted to know. Thinking about it, he was pretty sure he was the cause of its lack of fulfillment. Maybe if she hadn't kept him her dreams would have come true. And suddenly, he felt his eyes burning with tears, his throat closing. He was the killer of his mother's dream.

"It felt like a broken promise, like the fisher king's wound. It never heals."

"Wow. Genetics really are amazing. You see the world with the same fierce theatricality as I do. Even the way we're sitting right now, it's so dramatic and yet we feel comfortable with it."

"I've missed so much." The trio were silent, taking in the words. Then they could hear the mother's clothes rustle as she leaned forward. Robbie looked at her inquisitively. "How do you feel?"

"Thirsty," the daughter answered. Robbie and Shelby both looked at her with an expression of confusion. "When I was little and I used to get sad, my dads would bring me a glass of water. Got so I couldn't tell if I was sad or just thirsty." Shelby leaned back again, staring down at the floor. She gave Rachel another swift glance before looking back down.

"Uh," a pause as Shelby tried to find the right words. She raised her hands in what looked like surrender. "I shouldn't have done this." She stood, preparing to leave, her two children looking up at her. "This was supposed to feel good. W-w-we were supposed to have some kind of slow motion, run into each other's arms. This is wrong."

"Maybe we can just go to dinner or something? Just to get over the initial shock."

"I'm so sorry, Rachel. I-" She cut herself off, putting a frustrated hand to her forehead. "I'll call you." Shelby left the aisle, heading down to the exit. Robbie picked up his backpack, staring down at Rachel. He was sure that he may have looked a bit territorial, predatory, but at the same time, he gave off a sense of sympathy. He shrugged.

"Sorry," he said, leaving to follow his mother.

* * *

><p>"Okay, that's better, guys. Take five. And ladies, I don't wanna hear about chafing just because you're forced to wear metal underwear. Not my problem." Robbie hopped off of the stage and climbed over chairs to go sit next to her. He regretted that after he sat down. The metal was certainly chafing.<p>

"I know we're trying to do a legit a Gaga number, but damn, mom. This stuff hurts," he said, pulling at the red material between his legs. He spread his legs and slouched, pulling off his ski mask. Shelby slapped his shoulder, making him sit up with a groan.

"Mom?"

The Corcorans turned their heads, catching sight of Rachel.

"Hun, you gotta stop sneaking into these rehearsals," Shelby insisted.

"It's kind of important," Rachel replied. She opened her jacket. Robbie cocked an eyebrow, looking at her attire. A dress made of stuffed animals, some of which were on the verge of jumping off. It wasn't attractive in the least. It was a fashion don't for sure.

"Oh, dear God."

Robbie let out a quiet chortle.

"My dads can't sew," Rachel admitted.

"Apparently," Robbie deadpanned, looking over the costume. Shelby slapped his shoulder again.

"I really need a mom right now. You think you could help?"

* * *

><p>"So, how'd your dads come up with the name Rachel?" Shelby asked as they walked over to the piano. Robbie shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around the auditorium. Nothing particularly special about it. He followed his mother as they walked, stopping beside her on the other side of the piano.<p>

"They were, um, big 'Friends' fans. I know why you're here. To say good-bye," Rachel said. Robbie pulled his hands out of his pockets, leaning on the piano with his elbows.

"I really wanted this to work. You know what really turned me? That story you told me about your dads and how they'd bring you water when you were sad. We're never gonna have anything like that. It's too late for us. I just think anything we share right now is going to be confusing for you."

"I just don't understand. You're my mom, I feel awful right now, and I should want to just fall into your arms and let you rock me and tell me everything will be fine, but," Rachel paused for a moment, shaking her head, "I just don't feel it."

Robbie looked down at the piano surface, his fingers tracing over it as a distraction. He gave his half-sister a swift glance before looking down again. He knew that feeling. It was how he had felt about his father when they'd first met. He'd wanted to be able to embrace him, but everything in him screamed no. Said it wasn't right. That this was a stranger and not his parent. That must have been what Rachel felt about Shelby. It was a hard place to be.

"It's because I'm your mother, but I'm not your mom. Not like I am with Robbie." Rachel nodded her understanding. Robbie tilted his head sideways, looking at Shelby.

"So, what? Do we just pretend like we don't know each other now?"

"That seems silly," Shelby replied. "Let's just be grateful for one another. From afar. For a while. Don't think for a second I'm gonna go soft on you at Regionals."

"I'd never allow such a thing, sister or not," Robbie said with a competitive smile. Shelby gave him a soft smile, running a hand through his shaggy black hair. Rachel noticed this, a small, sad smile appearing on her face. To her, Robbie was lucky to have Shelby in his life. She seemed so cut throat as a coach, but the way she treated him seemed so gentle, caring. Loving.

"Bring it," Rachel replied, sliding a strand of hair behind her ear. Robbie's smile grew, looking at the older girl. She wasn't so bad. Robbie even imagined they could be friends if they tried. They were big dreamers.

"Can I have a hug good-bye?" Shelby asked. Rachel slowly looked up and nodded.

"Sure," she answered softly. Robbie took a step back, allowing Shelby to go to the end of the piano. The two women embraced one another.

"Can you do me one more favor? Actually, me and Robbie," Shelby asked. Rachel gave another nod of approval. The mother opened her leather briefcase, stating, "The next time you're thirsty," she pulled out a plain white box with a pink ribbon on top, "can you get yourself some water from this cup?" The older woman pulled out a clear goblet, studded with rhinestones as trimming. There was a large gold star in the center. "Gold stars are kind of my thing."

"Our thing," Robbie corrected with a shrug.

Rachel smiled and took it gently.

"Of course," she replied, going to put it with her things on the piano. Robbie smiled. "Shelby?" The older woman looked across the piano at her daughter. "Before you go, will you sing with me? Just one time." Rachel gave half a shrug. "It's sort of a fantasy of mine and it would really mean a lot to me."

"I would be honored," Shelby replied.

"Brad!" Rachel called, looking toward the Glee pianist. Robbie glanced behind him at the middle aged man. "He's always just around," Rachel explained, opening her binder and pulling out the sheet music. Robbie held up a hand to the man and took a seat at the piano.

"I'll handle this," the teenage boy said. Rachel glanced at him, slightly shocked.

"You play?" she asked, handing him the sheet music. Robbie smiled, taking it and placing it on the music stand. He rested his fingers on the ivory keys.

"Since I was four," he replied. He looked at his mother as she received her sheet music. He began to play when he was certain both women were ready. He smiled, recognizing the melody as he looked at the notes in front of him, his fingers moving almost robotically. His smile grew, hearing his older sister's voice. And then came his mother's, the voice that would always astound him.

Occasionally, Robbie looked back and forth between the two singers. Before the bridge began, Robbie joined in the song with his own voice. Rachel turned her attention to him, giving him a grin. Her younger brother returned it as she began her line of the chorus. Robbie looked down at the sheet music again as to not lose his place. Shelby and Rachel sang the bridge and Robbie felt as if he were surrounded by angels. He was in a musical heaven and all he needed was his mother and sister to fill it.

Robbie stood when the music was over and went to his mom. He placed his hands in his pockets, feeling his smile fade. He looked at his sister and felt bad for her as she put on her poker face. They still had to deal with one another. Vocal Adrenaline versus New Directions. And Vocal Adrenaline was not going to let New Directions rest easy. And he didn't mean his mom. He meant the students.

"You are really, really good," Shelby complimented, placing a hand on Rachel's shoulder. Then she led her son off of the stage and out of the room.

**A/N: Still searching for a way to watch Season 2, so I can start writing it up. I wanna get to Season 3 soon, because there's so much drama Robbie will be going through. And yes, I am thinking that far ahead.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Funk**

Robbie pulled up his sleeves a bit before digging his hands into his pockets. He stood in the crowd of Vocal Adrenaline students, but remained silent. Life was back to normal. He was no longer the Vocal Adrenaline lead. A light to shine up front. No. Robbie was in the shadows again. More specifically, Jesse St. James' shadow. And Robbie hated it.

Of course, on Jesse's surprise return, the older teen had thanked Robbie for keeping the team in line and congratulated him on such an excellent job. And then Robbie was back to being his lapdog again, watching the other kids praise and worship the wonderful Jesse St. James, their leader, their king. The sad part was that Robbie knew it was bound to happen, knew it was inevitable after the conversation in front of Rachel's house. There was nothing he could do about it.

Robbie glanced up, sending a glare in his "mentor's" direction. He sighed. Even though this was a team effort, he couldn't feel anymore separated from the world around him. He just wanted this to be over. Having to listen to Jesse sing a Queen song would be hell. Once again, this was a Robbie song, but it would not be as effective if Jesse didn't sing it. It was his claim to power again.

"Be right back," he heard Jesse whisper. He noticed the older boy walk toward the front of the stage. Like a good lapdog, Robbie followed close behind. He stopped a few inches behind him and to the side a bit, looking down at the shocked faces of New Directions.

"Jesse?"

His gaze landed on Rachel, his sister. He sighed. He liked the older girl, but some things just had to be done.

"I've transferred back to Carmel High, Rachel. I'm sorry that it's come to this, but you guys were awful to me. You never accepted me; you never listened to my clearly superior ideas."

"Why are you here in our auditorium?" the awkwardly tall young man asked, stepping forward. Robbie's gazed flicked to him. Obviously a jock. Robbie cocked a recently plucked eyebrow. What was he doing in the glee club?

"The blogs and chatrooms say that we're finished and that you guys are ripe to top us. We just wanted to show you a little something we came up with a few days ago to see if you agree with that assessment." Jesse uncrossed his arms as his mini me gave an arrogant smirk, one that even challenged the haughtiness of the great Jesse St. James'. The two moved to their positions.

When the number was over, Robbie immediately stood from his crouch and walked over to Giselle and Jesse. The three might as well have been the faces of Vocal Adrenaline. Jesse, the talent. Giselle, the bitch. Robbie, the baby.

"Thanks for letting us borrow your auditorium, guys. It's quaint," Giselle said sarcastically, getting a rise out of the other Vocal Adrenaline members. Jesse and Robbie kept stern, competitive faces. They always had to be on their game. It's something they'd learned over the years from Shelby.

Their team began exiting the stage, leaving Jesse and Robbie. Jesse gave a smirk, but it faded as his team left. Robbie shoved his hands back in his pockets, the jacket being pushed back behind his arms, as he stared down at their competition. He looked at Rachel and felt sympathy for her. He could only imagine the hole Jesse had just punched through her heart with this performance. Being her brother, he felt a bond to her, but due to its lack of development, it was quite small. Not enough to make him run to comfort her. So he stayed by Jesse who was closer to a brother than Rachel was to a sister.

Robbie gave his teammate a look and noticed the look of hurt on his face. He smacked Jesse's shoulder to tell him it was time that they leave. He couldn't have Jesse break character. He may not like living in the older teen's shadow, but he did like the feeling of being on top. He would not lose that due to Jesse's emotions.

The older boy gave him a glance before they began their exit. Jesse gave Rachel one last glance before following Robbie off stage.

* * *

><p>"Yeah! I did it! And I'm proud!" Puck announced. "All I did was step up and be a man! They got what was coming to them!"<p>

Robbie leaned against the glass wall, watching the meeting take place in front of him with a blank gaze. He rolled his eyes at the boy's outburst. This was absolutely ridiculous. Robbie was only here, because his mother was and she had insisted on talking to the principal as well as the glee club instructor. In all honesty, it was a simple problem to solve.

"A few of my students tippee'd your choir room. You slashed the tires on the Range Rovers of all twenty-six of my performers', including my son's. Those were gifts for our win at Sectionals. That's two hundred times twenty-six times four equals… I don't have a calculator," Shelby argued.

"Twenty thousand eight hundred," Robbie said quietly, but his mother managed to hear him and returned the response with a thank you. Robbie gave a small smile, but before anyone could see his sign of pride, he made it fade away. No vulnerability in enemy territory. They'd destroy him and Vocal Adrenaline.

"I'm sorry. You bought all your kids Range Rovers?" Shuester chimed in. Robbie glanced at the instructor. He didn't understand why he was so incredulous. If you have the money to do it, why not? It gave the students incentive to perform better. Not that they really needed it. Shelby Corcoran would have nothing but perfection, incentive or not. She would work them to the bone. But hey, gifts were always appreciated.

"We have a very active booster club," Shelby and Robbie explained simultaneously. Robbie's tone was more monotonous, though. Shuester looked from mother to son. He seemed to observe Robbie for a moment. Robbie returned the glance with a glare, not happy to be studied. He quickly averted his gaze to his mother, though, with an expression of curiosity. Why was he staring? But his mother was paying no attention to him. His first assumption was that his mother had not mentioned him in her short encounter with the enemy teacher.

"Look, nobody got hurt. It was a harmless prank!" Shuester said, looking away from Robbie after his short observation.

"That's what a young man in Chicago said in 1871 who thought he'd play a hot prank on a dairy cow of one Mrs. O'Leary. He successfully ignited the cow's flatulence and a city burned. That young terrorist went on to become the first gay president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln," Sue Sylvester inserted. Robbie's brows knitted together in confusion as did his mother's. The whole room looked utterly perplexed by her anecdote, but Robbie quickly opened his mouth to speak.

"Not to mention that's my mom's and my primary transportation from home to school and back. Riding cabs at midnight is not particularly safe I might add," Robbie put in. It's what he'd wanted to say before the coach across the room said her piece.

"Wait, your mom drives your car?" the Mohawked boy asked incredulously, looking back at the younger boy. His tone hinted at oncoming teasing. Robbie sent him a glare.

"I'm fifteen. I'm not old enough for a permit, let alone a license, therefore my mother drives my car. Got a problem?"

"Enough!" the principal said. "These students have committed a felony. They are hereby expelled."

"Look," Shelby began. "I don't want anyone to get expelled. I'm not gonna press charges as long as you pay for the damages. You can take it out of the glee club budget."

Robbie rolled his eyes slightly as he sighed. Why were they not charging them with a felony they already admitted to committing? Sure, they had only slashed their tires, but it was one hundred and four tires… Wow, Robbie was getting better at math. Maybe all of those sessions with Jesse had worked.

"That'll bankrupt the glee club. We don't have that kind of money," Shuester argued.

"Wow, your booster club sucks," Robbie whispered without thinking, but no one seemed to have heard him over one of the punished teenager's exclamation.

"We'll get jobs! Give us a month and we'll pay you back, Ms. Corcoran. Promise," Finn offered.

"Fine," Shelby gave in. She gave a look to Robbie, telling him that it was time for them to take their leave. The teenager pushed off of the wall with his left foot and took a step toward her so he was only a few inches behind. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he waited for his mother to take the first step.

"Ms. Corcoran, you are as wise and magnanimous as you are beautiful," Principal Figgins complimented. Robbie and Shelby both quirked an eyebrow while Shuester looked partially embarrassed. Shelby's expression was one of confusion. How was she supposed to react to that? Robbie's, however, was a look of indignity.

Robbie took a threatening step forward, pulling fists from his pockets. His mother held up a hand, the back of it hitting his chest which was surprisingly firm. But there was still a soft smacking sound. Her son paused, getting her message. She placed a hand on his shoulder, making him turn toward the door.

"Thank you," Shuester said as they left the office.

* * *

><p>How could he have let this happen? Better yet, how could he not have known? His team was planning this whole prank and he hadn't known a thing about it. It was a sad testimony of how isolated from the team he actually was. How much they didn't want to include him. Sure, making New Directions feel bad through performance? Whatever. He could participate, because he was so damn talented. Not to mention he was Corcoran's son. But when it came to an actual down and dirty prank, he was nowhere to be found.<p>

Or maybe they knew he'd try and stop them.

Robbie turned the corner into another row of cars. He could hear their riotous laughter and the cracking… the cracking of eggs. And then he saw them, circled around Rachel as if she was a gazelle in the midst of a pack of lions.

Out of breath already, Robbie ran down the aisle and broke through the circle. He felt an egg hit him in the back, dirtying his blue Vocal Adrenaline jacket, the only sign of him being a part of the team. He wrapped his arms tightly around Rachel. _My sister_, he thought to himself. Family protects family. He protected his mother and, although he didn't know Rachel well, he had to protect her, too, as her younger brother.

He felt several eggs hit his arms and back and heard several more splatter on the pavement. Rachel was still a target. Robbie could only protect her back and right side.

Then it stopped.

The siblings opened their eyes as Giselle's voice overcame the laughter.

"I hear you're a vegan, Berry. The souls of those poor egg fetuses are all on your conscious now," she said snidely, gaining a deadly glare from Robbie. His lip pulled up over his canines.

"You're a bitch," Robbie said, staring his teammate down.

"And you're a traitor. What would your mom say?" Giselle retorted. The teenage boy's snarl fell immediately. What would his mother say? He had betrayed his team. Or at least tried.

He glanced at Rachel, seeing that she was unfazed by Giselle's words. No. Her gaze was on Jesse St. James, the cold leader of Vocal Adrenaline.

"Do it, Jesse," Giselle demanded. "Are you with us or not? You can always join your mini me over there."

Jesse looked down at the egg in his hand, lifting it slightly for a better look. His attention flickered up to Rachel as another one of his teammates encouraged him to commit the dirty deed. He finally took those few steps toward the hurt young woman, eyes remaining on hers.

"Do it," Rachel challenged. "Break it like you broke my heart."

"I loved you," Jesse replied. He took a deep breath before cracking the egg on her forehead. He watched it break, watched the yolk and crumpled shell run down her face before he walked past her. Robbie watched him with a scowl, reaching out a hand to push the older boy. The others laughed as they walked to their cars and began their leave. Vocal Adrenaline still had practice.

Looking at his sister, though, the pain and despair on her face as her lip quivered with the desire to cry, Robbie was certain he would be missing practice that day.

He pulled the smaller girl into his arms for a hug.

"Come on. Let's get you inside," he whispered, feeling her small body shake with sobs. He took a deep breath, gathering up his strength, before leading her towards the entrance of the school. He kept one arm wrapped around her shoulders as they walked and he kept her squeezed to him. Halfway through their walk to the choir room, which only a few days ago he'd tippee'd, Rachel wrapped her arm around Robbie's waist, feeling a sudden closeness to the younger brother she had never known.

The rest of the glee club members hadn't arrived until after Rachel was cleaned up and changed. Puck and a few others had shot Robbie dirty looks, causing him to back away from his older sister and stand in a corner. He watched as she told them the story from a distance. He was grateful for her compliments on Robbie's attempted rescue, but he still felt uneasiness. He felt unwelcomed and he certainly was.

"And now I just keep having nightmares of all the mothers of the little baby chicks coming after me for revenge," Rachel finished. Robbie quirked an eyebrow. Okay, she was a little strange, he had to admit.

"Oh, this is bull!" Puck exclaimed in rage, clenching his fists. He didn't seem capable of finding any other words, though, to express his indignity over what had happened. But finally, he looked to the other glee boys, stating, "Finn, Mike, Matt, come with me." He quickly stood, heading toward the exit. Robbie pushed himself off the wall, standing much straighter than he had been. What were they planning to do?

"Right on. It's time for less talking and more punching," Finn agreed, standing up. Robbie noticed the wheelchaired boy and the gay kid get up to follow as well, though they had not been acknowledged. He decided that whatever was going down, he wanted to take part. Vocal Adrenaline had gone much too far. So, he began to follow the pack. Sadly, their instructor walked in.

"What's going on?" Shuester asked.

"We're going Braveheart on Vocal Adrenaline!" Finn announced, pointing down to the floor to support his words. In all honest, Robbie thought it made him look ridiculous, but he made no comment on it.

"Violence is never the answer."

"Oh, it is when the question is what's the best way to mess up that Jesse kid's face," Puck seethed. Now that reaction, Robbie could believe and take seriously.

"Mr. Shue, Rachel's one of us! We're the only ones who get to humiliate her!"

The group of young men continued to stalk out of the room. Robbie figured he may as well go with them. He knew that he probably wasn't accepted in the group, but he knew more about Vocal Adrenaline than all of them. They'd need his help.

"Stop! Get back here and sit down!"

There was a pause, but Kurt was the first to break ranks. Robbie almost laughed.

"Look, I know from experience that making someone else suffer doesn't make your pain go away." Shue looked back at the girls and Kurt. "You're all amazing, no matter what Vocal Adrenaline says or does. We just need to find a way to remind ourselves of that."

This guy seriously reminded Robbie of an after school special. At the same time, though, he found himself believing the young teacher. Sure, he was kind of corny, but it was something that Robbie had never encountered. All of his trainers, whether it be singing, working out, or dancing, had always been tough on him. They were all so aggressive, especially his mother. Even when she was being gentle. This was something Robbie had been missing in life.

"We can't just let Vocal Adrenaline get away with turning Rachel into an omelet!" Finn retorted.

"We're not," Shuester said threateningly. He walked toward the semi-circle of glee kids, leaving the majority of boys behind him. "Rachel, dial Jesse's number on your phone." Robbie began pulling out his own phone, but noticed how quickly Rachel hit a button on her phone.

"You haven't deleted his number yet?" Santana said, taking the words right out of Robbie's mouth.

"Jesse St. James? Will Shuester here. You and Vocal Adrenaline need to meet in our auditorium, Friday, three sharp."

* * *

><p>"So, what's your story?" Puck asked, taking a seat next to Robbie. The younger teen looked at him. Puck was much bigger than Robbie in muscle. The two were the same height, but Puck was definitely buffer whereas Robbie had a lean body type.<p>

It had been a day since the egging and Robbie still felt unwelcomed here after one rehearsal. No one had bothered to talk to him except Rachel who wanted to get to know him better. In all honesty, that was fine with him, but he was starting to feel like he was back in Vocal Adrenaline where no one wanted to be his friend.

"M-My what?" Robbie stuttered in response, reaching down to tie his shoes, but he kept eye contact with the larger boy.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at Vocal Adrenaline practice?" Puck clarified. "You're like the coach's son."

"Oh, um, well," Robbie stumbled. He looked down at his shoe which was kicked up on the seat opposite to him. "Well, I, uh, never really felt like a part of Vocal Adrenaline. To them, I was just 'the coach's son' or the baby of the group. Didn't really have any friends. Besides, after what they did to my sist- Rachel," he paused, "I couldn't stay part of the team. They went overboard."

Puck nodded slowly, looking at the other football guys who had gathered around Robbie.

"I understand that. I got a sister, too. So, you're not a spy?"

Robbie chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah. No way. I'm with you guys all the way. I'll even do Regionals with you guys… if you'll have me."

"I don't see why not," Shuester piped in, overhearing Robbie's offer. The young man looked at the teacher who smiled. "Five more minutes, guys. Then back to practice." He walked across the room toward the band. Puck stood and went to go talk to the other guys elsewhere, leaving Robbie to himself again. He sighed. He was getting pretty tired of the isolation.

"That was sweet of you," a voice said. It seemed genuinely sweet and there was a cute nasal tone to it that Robbie liked. He looked up at the speaker, finding one of the girls sitting next to him. And God, she was beautiful. The golden blonde hair. The dazzling green eyes. She looked like a classic Hollywood starlet. She was so beautiful, Robbie almost missed the fact that she was pregnant.

"What was?" he asked.

"Quitting your team for your sister. That's sweet," she said. Robbie smiled. It was rare that girls talked to him at Carmel. They were too busy asking if he could introduce them to Jesse.

"Thanks, but I think any brother would do that," he replied bashfully, looking down at the floor. Robert Corcoran did not blush. Yet there he was, his cheeks heating up, reddening at this girl's comments.

"Even a brother who's only known his sister for a matter of weeks?"

Robbie looked up at her again, making eye contact. He could stare at those beautiful green eyes all day if he could. He certainly wouldn't mind. She had a pretty face to match them. Let all day start now.

"By the way, I'm Quinn," she introduced, beginning to walk away.

"I'm Robbie," he replied. She gave a small chuckle, causing him to raise a brow. What was so funny?

"I know."

* * *

><p>"How are you getting home?" Quinn asked, concerned. Robbie had never said how he was getting to and from McKinley. He just appeared a half an hour after the school day was over then disappeared when rehearsal was over. Puck had mentioned that he had no permit or license and that his mom drove his car. Quinn highly doubted that Shelby Corcoran approved of her son's new after school activities even though she didn't know the woman. She just knew of her coaching methods.<p>

"Oh, I just hit up the bus and then walk. Not a big deal. I know Lima like the back of my hand," he replied, lifting his hand playfully and looking at the back of it. His chuckle ceased. "Oh, crap. Where'd that come from?"

Quinn laughed.

"Look at that. I got a smile," he said with sarcastic pride.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the blonde asked with playful curiosity. She stared up at the young man as they walked further into the parking lot. The glee club was slowly dispersing, going their separate ways. Quinn had to wait for Mercedes who was talking to Kurt.

"It means that I've noticed you don't smile often in practice," Robbie admitted.

"Noticed? What? Are you spying on me?"

"Maybe I am. I know it's nice when people notice what you do."

"I'm surprised you haven't asked then," she said, her smile fading. Robbie tilted his head, confused as to what she meant, but also upset that her smile was gone. Had he said something wrong?

"Asked what?"

"'When's the baby due?' Or 'who's the baby daddy?' Those are fairly popular."

The two stopped walking. Robbie looked down at her pregnant belly before looking at her eyes again, which were cast down.

"That's none of my business," he said sincerely. She looked up at him, shocked by his answer. "I better get going. Don't wanna miss my bus." He backed away from her, not bothering to watch for cars.

"So you have nothing to say about it?" Quinn asked incredulously as he walked backwards. He shrugged back.

"Only that I hope he or she-"

"She."

"I hope that she has your eyes. Then again, having your gorgeous looks wouldn't kill her either," he finished with a smile before turning away from her. He began jogging out of the parking lot, Quinn watching after him with a small smile on her face.

Mercedes stepped beside her.

"Quinn, ya ready?" the vocalist asked. She waited, but there was no response. Mercedes snapped twice, but that didn't catch the blonde's attention either. She followed her gaze to the disappearing silhouette of Robbie and shook her head. "Quinn?" she said a bit louder, looking back at her new friend.

The blonde finally gave her attention.

"Huh?" she responded.

"What's going on?" Mercedes asked with a smile, looking back toward an already gone Robbie.

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. Tell me."

"I'll tell you later."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming," Rachel greeted. "After your brazen escalation of our growing dispute, which we were willing to put to rest, we decided the only way to truly funkify you is to show you the one thing we know you can't do. So, enjoy."<p>

Hearing the sarcasm in his sister's voice, Robbie couldn't help but smile behind the screen. Her syntax and tone was just spectacular. She truly was the female version of Jesse St. James, except she had a heart. Robbie was looking forward to getting to know the older girl. He imagined they'd become good friends, close siblings, whether their mother became involved in Rachel's life or not. Robbie really wanted to work at this relationship. Sure, he'd been jealous of his mother's sudden interest in Rachel, but seeing her egged by his teammates had set something off in him. Suddenly, she didn't seem distant. She wasn't this idea, impalpable, intangible. She was his sister.

Robbie wore shades the entire performance and the hood of his electric blue jacket was pulled over a baseball cap that covered his hair, hiding his identity from his team. But as they got further into the performance, the hood fell. In the midst of it all, despite worry of Vocal Adrenaline getting revenge on him, he couldn't help but admit to himself that this was the most fun in glee club he'd had all year… and it was humiliating his own team. The team he'd been dying to join for years. He was having fun with this group of misfits that was filled with so many technical flaws. Yet, he liked the flawed more than the perfect.

"See you chumps at Regionals!" Puck called, crossing the stage to leave. Robert chuckled.

"'Ey, yo!" Robbie called, heading upstage with Rachel. He pulled the older, yet shorter girl under his arm, pulling her to him. With his free hand, he removed his baseball cap and tossed it into the crowd of Vocal Adrenaline members. He then removed his shades. "Mess with my sister again and I'm knocking someone's head in."

With that being said, the siblings walked backstage, chuckling and excited for the cut throat competition to come.

**A/N: So, this chapter was much longer, because I always imagined Robbie playing a larger part starting with this episode. Hope you enjoyed. I should start writing season 2 during Christmas break since season 2 was recently added on Netflix!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Journey**

Avoidance was officially impossible. His mother was now aware of Robbie's change in allegiance. After a week of ditching rehearsal and a performance that shook up her soulless automatons, Shelby knew that her son was no longer part of Vocal Adrenaline. There had been a short talk about it when he'd come home late that night. Robbie knew his mother's schedule well and, for the better part of the week, after leaving rehearsal with New Directions for "Give Up the Funk", he stayed at Andre's until one and then walked the four blocks it took to get home. Knowing that he'd be home at around one in the morning, Shelby waited up after Vocal Adrenaline practice.

Shelby, although disappointed, had accepted her son's decision. Of course, she wanted Robbie to be with her team. She'd been waiting the whole of her job there for him to join, to be on the stage with her when they won his first Regional and then National. But she knew she couldn't force him to stay. He had to make his own decisions… even if it was a losing one.

Since then, the two had been less social. They drove to school together and then, when the day was over, they passed one another in the Carmel hallways without a word to the other. Shelby went to the auditorium; Robbie walked to the bus station so he could get to McKinley. Both were too afraid to speak. They were much too competitive and they were bound to get into a battle of words that would end in stagnation. Shelby knew Robbie received that trait from her. As proud as it made her, it probably wasn't appropriate for this situation.

In all honesty, the two would be pretty damn happy when the whole thing was over. They no longer felt like a family.

Sitting in this room of quiet teenagers, though, Robbie was starting to regret it. It was so awkward. A heavy silence in which everyone seemed to understand its purpose. Seemed to be on the same wavelength. Everyone except Robbie. He had figured this would be a happy occasion. They were choosing songs for Regionals after all and they were here together, hanging out. But the sad faces sort of tore the cheer from Robbie's assumption and he was stuck in the silence, too, feeling like he was the only one to not understand a joke in a crowd of people.

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, the young man turned his head, catching sight of Quinn and Mr. Shue. He smiled softly. Okay, he had a bit of a crush on Quinn. But have you seen her? Who wouldn't?

Robbie watched as she set the stack of paper plates and napkins down on the coffee table before she took a seat at the end of the couch where he was perched on the arm, leaned back and slightly to the side as to not fall off.

"No one wants any pizza?" Mr. Shue inquired, a smile on his face, but his concern was still there in his tone. Robbie heard it and glanced at the rest of the club. No movement, no sound. He cocked an eyebrow. Well, hell, if no one was going to grab any, he sure was. He leaned forward toward the table as Shue spoke again. "Alright, well, uh, let's get started. Thank you for coming to the first annual New Directions set list nominations party."

"What's the point, Mr. Shue?" Artie spoke up, lifting his head to look at the teacher. Everyone's attention shifted to the paralyzed boy. "Coach Sylvester's one of the judges. She's gonna crush us."

"Artie, you don't know that."

"Yes, we do," Santana said, the first to stand as she messed with the pizza boxes. "She told us during Cheerios practice." She turned to sit in her seat again, Brittany next to her.

"Yeah, she said 'I'm going to crush glee club,'" the blonde recited. One of Robbie's eyebrows cocked and he found himself mouthing the word "damn." That was harsh. Sure, he'd been around the cheerleading coach once or twice, seen her act mean to say the least, but that was just malicious. What was her deal?

"The whole fricking year. All that hard work for nothing," Puck piped in, looking up only with his eyes. Everyone's attention turned at the sound of sniffling. The sign of crying. Tina.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just really love you guys. You know how many Facebook friends I had before glee club? Two. My parents." She gave a smile as she chuckled at the sad fact. "Rachel was right. Being part of something special, it made me special. I just can't believe it's gonna be over in a week." Her sobs increased. Robbie's eyebrows knitted together. He couldn't help but think he'd never seen so much vulnerability in a glee club… so much weakness.

"Wait," Finn said, leaning forward and bringing his arm from behind Rachel, "who says it's gonna be over?"

Finally. Someone fighting for the club.

"Please," Mercedes responded immediately. "You think Puck and Santana are gonna even acknowledge my existence once we're not in glee club together anymore?"

"She has a point," Puck confirmed, thinking it over himself for the first time.

"Mr. Shuester?" Rachel spoke up. The teacher gave her his attention. "Do you think instead of nominating songs, we can just," Rachel gave a short pause, trying to compose herself, glancing at Artie and Quinn, "all go around the room and talk about things we all loved about Glee club this year?"

Robbie looked around the room again at all of the sad faces, noticing all the tears that fell. Santana was holding it together, but the rest of the girls seemed to have lost control over tear ducts. The guys just looked deep in contemplation while Finn looked determined to hold the group together. Finally, his eyes landed on Shuester, who looked stunned and unsure of how to handle the emotional outbursts. But what else could he do.

"Of course, Rachel," he finally said. It was quiet at first… then Artie told the story of their first day in glee club, Rachel, Mercedes, Kurt, and Tina all chiming in to tell a bit of their own side. It managed to gain a few laughs. And then more stories were told, more laughs shared together. But once again, Robbie couldn't join in. All he could do was sit back and listen and think about his year in Vocal Adrenaline. And he couldn't say that being with that group had been any fun, nowhere near as fun as this group had together. The most fun he had had was always in the company of his mother at break when she let go of her coach façade and played the role of mom. The kids in Vocal Adrenaline, they weren't friends. They were just a polished to perfection team. And for the longest, that's all Robbie had wanted to be a part of. He wanted to be a part of perfection. But seeing New Directions, seeing this team as they spoke about the fun they'd had and laughed about their memories and shot each other glances of sparkling eyes and cheerful grins, Robbie couldn't help but feel that he'd missed something.

After twenty minutes of listening to the anecdotes, Robbie stood from his seat and went to stand against the wall, not wanting to be too close to this circle of joy he obviously had no part in. It didn't go completely unnoticed. Shue took a moment to glance at him with concern, but Robbie sent him a believable smile, conveying that he was "okay." Shue looked away. After a few minutes, though, Quinn noticed that Robbie's thigh no longer played a role as arm rest when she needed it. She also looked back at him, eyebrows knitted together. The younger boy pulled a hand up from his crossed arms and gestured for her to join the group again, not wanting to spoil her fun. He had seen her smile too much tonight to have it all stop on his account.

Finally, when the group's confidence had seemingly shot up a bit, Rachel stood up, prepared to leave. Her younger brother's eyebrows came together, creating a wrinkle above his nose. He noticed her avoidance of eye contact as she made excuses for leaving the group. She mentioned having to get Robbie home and, as she did, met his eyes with her own. And he saw the hurt and sadness where there had just been joy. She could no longer take the stories, knowing that there would be no new ones to tell next year.

So, the brother and sister left with a short and sudden good-bye.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys," Robbie said, entering the New Directions room, backpack slung over his shoulder. He was breathing heavily and slightly hunched over, trying to catch it. The group of students looked over at him from their seats and, from what he could tell, they seemed much more confident and enthusiastic than they had been the other night. The young man stood upright and walked further into the room. "Sorry I'm later than usual. Missed my usual bus an- Journey?" His eyes passed over the white board. "As in the band, right? Is that what we're doing for Regionals?" he asked, looking at Shue.<p>

The teacher smiled. There was something about Robbie's youth and constant excitement for music that was contagious, inspiring.

"Sure is," Shuester answered, walking over to the new member. He handed him the sheet music before gesturing to the other students. "We were just going over parts and harmonies."

"Awesome," Robbie said with a smile, going over to the other members. He took the empty seat next to Quinn in the front row, who greeted him with a smile and ruffled his black hair. He winced, fidgeting slightly away from her. She chuckled at his childlike behavior.

Let rehearsals begin.

* * *

><p>"A mash up of Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban?" Puck said, pointing out the songs coming from the speakers as he passed one. "Are you kidding me? Somebody tipped them off about the judges?"<p>

Finn, leaning on his hands against the back of the couch, tried to keep his hopes up. He was truly a leader of the team now. He believed in what they could do. He couldn't lose confidence, no matter how this situation shook him up. They had made it through a crazy Sectional. Hell, they could make it through this.

"Cut throat competition. That's what that is," Robbie sighed, staring at the wall, trying to ignore the music blaring from the speakers.

"Guys, we can't get distracted by what the other team is doing," Rachel advised, taking a break from trying to cut off the speakers she was too short to reach. Finn and Robbie looked at her. Finn, encouraged by her words. Robbie, sympathizing over her height challenge.

"We just gotta," Finn pushed his hands out from his body, trying to give his meaning, "keep our heads in the game and keep our focus."

"Even though we know we can't win?" Santana asked, finding the idea of keeping their heads up in a losing situation to be a dumb one.

"Yes," Shuester said, stepping into the room. He cut off the speakers, doing what Rachel had been so desperately trying to accomplish. If they weren't in such a somber mood, Robbie would have laughed at the circumstance. "If this is only about winning for you guys," he began, he and Rachel approaching to the group, "then I owe you all an apology. Because I failed you. We should all just go home, because we've already lost. Besides," he moved to the center of the group, "we've got something that the other groups don't."

"What?" Artie asked, taking the words from everyone's minds.

"Finn's dancing!" Shue announced, pointing behind him with his thumb. The group let out a laugh, something they needed to break the tension. Hell, even Robbie cracked a smile. Finn couldn't dance to save his life. "Now let's get out there! We've got two minutes! Oral Intensity is almost finished. Bring it in!"

The group all stood from their respective seating places and put a hand in between them all, piling up. There was no word spoken. Just a big "Woooo-oh!" But it was enough.

The performance, in Robbie's opinion, went exceedingly well. He couldn't get the smile off of his face as they walked off stage, yammering incoherently together. His sister had found herself in step with Finn which left Robbie to team up with Quinn. She was always the one he turned to when Rachel was preoccupied with someone else, though he was finding that he was becoming friends with Puck and Mike as well.

"Baby's not too riled up in there, is she?" Robbie teased with a slight chuckle. His eyes were cast down at his feet, but he occasionally glanced over to the blonde in a coy manner. Quinn found herself laughing at the question. She wasn't a fan of discussing the baby, but it was because she was afraid of the judgment. The younger boy next to her had made it quite clear that he had no such plans, though.

"Maybe a little," Quinn said, but she wasn't telling the full truth. It felt like the child was doing somersaults in her belly, often kicking harder than Quinn felt was necessary, causing the teenage girl to grip her stomach. She was pretty sure it was the most pain she'd felt during her pregnancy. Her expression showed sign of struggle, but she quickly wiped it away when Robbie looked at her, not wanting to worry everyone.

"A little?" Robbie laughed, letting her go down the stairs to the dressing room first. He followed her down.

"Yeah," she replied, but there was no laughter in her voice. There was a hint of pain. Before Robbie could comment on it, though…

"Quinnie?"

Quinn turned, causing Robbie to as well. He moved behind her, off set. He looked at the older woman, who gave him a short glance. Blonde hair, pretty eyes, short. She had to be Quinn's mom.

"Mom?"

Yup.

Mrs. Fabray placed her hand over her mouth, tears flooding her eyes, but they did not fall, as she looked at Quinn's enlarged belly. Quinn simply stared at her, dumbfounded. Why was she here? She hadn't seen her family since they'd thrown her out for being pregnant.

"I'll leave you two alone," Robbie whispered, turning to leave, but he felt someone grasp his hand. He felt Quinn grasp his hand. So, he stayed, supposing she just needed emotional support.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked in a soft voice. Softer than usual at least. "Is dad okay?"

"I came to hear you sing." Robbie couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face, hearing those words. "You were wonderful." Quinn glanced back into the dressing room, seemingly anxious to leave. She then looked at Robbie whose smile had faded within moments. "I'm sorry I missed all the other times you performed. Were there a lot?" Quinn seemed too overwhelmed to respond. She didn't know whether to feel angry or betrayed or concerned or frightened. Maybe all of the above. "I left your father." And Quinn's expression softened. "Well, I kicked him out actually. He was having an affair with some, uh, tattooed freak."

Even from behind her, Robbie could tell Quinn was really softening up, feeling the emotional blow from the news. Sure, she had messed up the perfect image that her family had. But that was just it. Her family was the perfect Christian family and here was her father, sleeping around behind her mother's back. It was only an image with no substance. A mask and nothing more.

"Quinnie," her mother began, taking a step closer to her daughter. Quinn took a shaky breath, the grip on Robbie's hand tightening as Mrs. Fabray grabbed her other hand. "I want you to come home with me. I can turn the guest room into a nursery." Suddenly, Quinn squeezed Robbie's hand, almost causing him to lose circulation, but he stopped himself from wincing. He wanted no attention drawn to him. This was their moment; he was just support. But that squeeze made him think that maybe her mother's offer was a bad idea. "Oh, sweetie, say something."

"My water just broke."

Robbie's eyes widened as he looked down at the floor.

"Uh, hey, guys!" he called, finally allowing attention to be drawn to him. The rest of the glee club stopped their chattering to give him their attention. He looked over his shoulder at them. "Quinn's water just broke!"

"What?" Puck exclaimed, the first to physically react to the news. He exited the dressing room just as Robbie withdrew his hand from Quinn's. Robbie backed up, going into the dressing room, making room for Shue as he came out. The blonde teenager turned to the father of her child and Shue.

"Oh, my God."

* * *

><p>"They're good," Rachel mumbled as Vocal Adrenaline performed. She and Robbie watched from the doorway of the auditorium, all the way in the back, the last two of New Directions in the venue as Quinn lay in the hospital, giving birth. Both siblings wore glares, but Rachel's was nowhere near as fearsome as Robbie's. If it had been a physical weapon, every Vocal Adrenaline member on that stage would have been struck dead by lightning.<p>

How could she? How could she choose this song? It was all he could think about. Any song but this one. How could she even attempt this song without him? With Jesse leading no less. It was like being stabbed in the back. It was like finding out your best friend slept with your girlfriend… Guess he could empathize with Finn now.

Robbie felt sick. Bohemian Rhapsody. He could swear that Jesse gave him a look of arrogance as he sat at the piano. Just hearing the music caused his throat to close up, his gut knotting up and tears begging to fall from his eyes. He would not allow his emotions to affect him this physically, though. No. He would sit and take his torture and watch as the robots performed.

"Of course, they're good," he deadpanned to his sister. "They're always good."

* * *

><p>"Congratulations," Rachel said as they entered the room. Honestly, Robbie hadn't wanted to come in. His rage was still boiling under the surface. He wasn't sure he could keep a calm attitude in front of his mom. Not after that performance. But Rachel had insisted.<p>

Shelby looked up from stirring her coffee, gazing at her two children, seeing their physical similarities.

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thanks, Rachel. Robbie."

"We beat you today," Rachel said simply. Robbie's eyebrows rose in shock as he glanced at his older half-sister. That was not what he had expected. He had thought they would come in, say their congratulations, and get out. "Jesse's a good singer, but you and I both know he doesn't have much heart," the small girl explained, inching closer to their mother. Robbie followed, a soft smirk finding a way to his face. "Vocal Adrenaline's best days are behind it, what with Jesse graduating and Robbie joining us."

Shelby watched as the two teens approached, the same look of shock on her face that was on Robbie's a moment ago. Only hers was more amused, intrigued by what this girl had to say.

"So, I have a proposition for you," Rachel continued, speeding up her pace. Robbie kept his the same, but looked at the back of her head inquisitively, cocking his own head slightly to the side. "Come teach at McKinley."

"Excuse me?" Shelby chuckled. She looked at her son, who shrugged, showing he was just as confused as she was.

"You a-and Mr. Shuester could be co-directors. We'd be unstoppable." Rachel paused and Robbie could see her tense with nerves, anxiety. "There's so much that you can teach me. So much only you can teach me and I've seen it in Robbie."

Shelby smiled softly before walking past her.

"Oh, Rachel, I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of coaching glee club." Both kids turned to look at her, Robbie leaning back against the table. "I want a life. I want to focus more on Robbie again." Shelby turned to them again. "It took meeting you to realize that all this stuff that I missed out on. I need some balance, ya know. I need a house, a garden, a dog. Family." She gestured to Robbie as she said her final word. Rachel cast her eyes down, disheartened. Shelby walked back to her. "I missed out on my chance with you and it kills me, which is why I kept Robbie when no one else would. I can't miss out again. I can't let that happen again."

Rachel nodded softly before turning to leave. Robbie looked at the floor then glanced at his sister as she reached for the door handle.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Shelby asked. Rachel and Robbie gave each other a look before shifting their attention to their mother. Rachel sighed, telling Robbie she'd be the one to answer.

"They're, uh, they're at the hospital. Quinn had her baby."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. It was, um," Rachel paused, taking a deep breath, "It was a beautiful baby girl." And with that, she left the mother and son alone.

The two stood in silence for a long while, not finding any words to say. Shelby's focus was on Quinn and her child. Robbie's was on his anger. Finally…

"Don't think that speech about family is gonna let you off. I'm still mad at you," he said before pushing himself off the table and leaving the room. He heard his mother's laugh before he left, a small smile gracing his face.

* * *

><p>Robbie couldn't tell you which was tenser. Waiting for the results for the winners of Regionals or standing across the stage from his mother and former teammates. Although, this car ride was turning to be a very good contender. His mother had told him that they had another priority to take care of and loaded him up in the car. It was the first car ride they'd taken together all day, seeing as Robbie had taken a bus that morning to meet up with the rest of his team.<p>

The teenage boy stared out the window, his fingers tapping against it softly, as he wondered where they were going. Why was his mother being so secretive? He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye for a moment.

"Still mad at me?" she asked, breaking their silence, but not looking directly at him. Robbie, however, gave her his full attention.

"Yes," he paused, "But only because you won with my song."

Shelby laughed at his response, causing Robbie to smile. That was so typical of him.

"Sorry. I know how much you wanted to perform that song. But I had to-"

"I know, I know. Do what it takes to win. You've instilled that in me since I was a kid," he said, looking out the window again. She had first told him that when he was five in his first talent competition. It had stuck with him ever since. Thinking of his childhood caused him to grin. Here he was. Fourteen years-old and still living. She hadn't done such a shabby job.

"What?" she asked, noticing his smile. He looked at her again.

"Nothing," he answered. "Just glad that I have you for a mom."

And that brought a smile to her face, because there was no greater compliment that she had ever received.

She pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and found a place to park. Robbie looked around inquisitively as she pulled the key from the ignition.

"What are we doing here?" he asked.

"Well, she is your friend, isn't she?"

The two exited the car and went up to the front doors of the small hospital. After reading a sign with all of the floor names on it, they took an elevator to the fifth floor, the maternity ward. As they wandered down the hall, Robbie noticed a haircut which could not be mistaken for anyone else's. A Mohawk meant it was Puck. Which meant the blonde next to him was Quinn.

Shelby and Robbie slowly approached the new parents. The teenager placed his hands in his pockets as they approached.

"Which one is yours?" Shelby said, catching the young parents' attentions. Robbie's eyes roved past the glass as he searched for the baby in question. He stopped on one, though, certain he'd found the right one.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked. Shelby smiled when her eyes landed on the same child as Robbie's.

"I see her now," she said softly, not answering Quinn's question. She chuckled. "She looks like you."

"I told you it wouldn't kill her to have your good looks," Robbie teased. "She even has your eyes."

Quinn blinked, trying to come up with a response, but instead, she looked into the nursery again, finding her baby girl.

"Does she have a name?" Shelby asked. Quinn looked at her, shaking her head softly.

"No."

"Beth," Puck piped in softly. Robbie looked at the father, seeing the intense love in his eyes for the child that he wasn't keeping. Robbie knew in that instant that his father had never looked at him that way. Beth was lucky.

"Pretty," Shelby complimented. "I like that name."

* * *

><p>"Let me get this straight," Robbie whispered. "You want to adopt their baby girl?" He was leaned forward over a small table in the waiting room, his mother sitting across from him leaned just as far forward as he was so they could hear one another.<p>

"Yes," Shelby answered. "I missed out on a daughter with Rachel and who knows what will happen to this child? Besides, I know I said family and, yes, me and you are a family, but I want to expand it. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course, I understand."

"Okay, then what do you think?"

Robbie paused for a moment, letting the silence fill the space between them. He knew his mom wanted his approval, because this family that she had in mind wouldn't work without it.

"How could I say no?" Robbie answered with a soft smile. "Looks like I'm getting another sister."

**A/N: So, that's the end of Season 1! It'll be a while until you get season 2. I have finals coming up, but then I'll start writing. I'm also going to write a summer chapter before that, because it's been gnawing at my brain.**


	11. Chapter 11

**School's Out!**

Most teenagers slept away their summer vacation. Not Robbie. It was rare for the teenage boy to sleep past 9am… Well, it used to be. With Beth in the house, both Robbie and Shelby found themselves getting up in the middle of the night and losing sleep. To Shelby's shock, though, Robbie never seemed too irritable about it. Sometimes, he was even by the crib before she was and Beth stayed in her bedroom. Robbie seemed to like taking care of the small child, though his summer days were typically busy.

Tonight, Robbie was first to Beth's crib, having heard the tell-tale signs of his sister's crying. He picked up Beth just as his mother was preparing to get out of bed. He rocked the petite child, bringing her cries to a whimper. He shushed her quietly, patting her back gently. Shelby watched in the darkness as her son comforted the newest member of their small family.

"Shh, it's okay. I've got you," he whispered. "You were wailing louder than Christina Aguilera. You can't do that to my future wife." Beth made a sound that almost sounded like she was mocking him. Robbie chuckled. "Okay, maybe I'll just stick to Demi Lovato. I think someone needs another lullaby. How about that, huh?" Beth whimpered again. "Mmkay. Well, the lovely Ms. Aguilera sings this to her son. Should work on you."

Robbie began to softly sing in his sister's ear. Shelby smiled, hearing _Stay Awake_. She had sung it to him when he was a child, too. Mary Poppins had been one of his favorite films. It always seemed to work its magic and it was doing so with Beth. After the second verse, Beth was fast asleep again and Robbie's voice was slowly fading. He laid the baby down in her crib and rubbed her back gently to ensure she remained asleep. He smiled before exiting his mother's room and crashing in his bed again.

It was his phone that awoke him the following morning. He groaned, dragging it off his bedside table. He hit talk and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello," he mumbled almost incoherently.

"Dude, where are you? Jay and I have been calling all morning. You were supposed to meet us at my place an hour ago. Remember?" Andre's voice came over the speaker. Robbie opened his eyes, but kept them squinted and narrow.

"Wha- What time is it?" Robbie asked, managing to sit up. He leaned back against the wall, blinking rapidly to get rid of his exhaustion.

"Bro, it's eleven in the morning."

Robbie's eyes widened. He looked at his alarm clock. There was no way his best friend was telling him the truth. But behold, the clock conveyed the time was indeed eleven. He pushed his covers off of himself, nearly tripping out of bed with a low growl.

"Ugh! No way! I'll be at the festival in a half an hour!" He hung up his phone, going to grab a clean pair of jeans. He pulled them on and then stripped off his tank top, putting on a fresh one. A black shirt with several small holes followed. "Mom, I gotta get to the festival!" he shouted, grabbing his jacket. He rushed out of his room, going into the den and then the bathroom that was between the two bedrooms. He quickly went through his morning routine before coming out again, the taste of mint awash in his mouth.

"I thought you were gone hours ago," Shelby said, looking up from the car seat she was putting Beth in. The baby whimpered softly, not liking the confinement before Shelby handed her a soft stuffed tiger.

"I was supposed to. I slept in."

"Well, let's get going. Don't want you to be late."

* * *

><p>Robbie pushed his way through the semi-large crowd of people. He needed to get to the stage. It was 11:20. He was up in ten minutes. Andre was going to kill him. Robbie had no idea how he'd managed to ignore his alarm clock or shut it off without remembering doing so. It didn't matter now. The fact of the matter was that he was late. Period. End of story. He just needed to be on that stage.<p>

His shoulder bumped roughly into a man in front of him. He turned quickly, walking backwards, but slowing his pace.

"I'm sorry," he said before realizing he knew the person. "Mr. Shue?"

"Hey, Robbie. What are you doing here?" the teacher asked, rubbing his shoulder blade. He turned fully to the teenage boy. He'd obviously been headed in a different direction. Robbie took a moment to catch his breath, looking around the event. Seemed that Mr. Shue wasn't the only one here from McKinley. He could see his sister, Finn, Quinn, Mercedes, and Kurt working at a booth. He looked back at Mr. Shue.

"Um, I'm volunteering. You, sir?" Robbie said quickly. He glanced behind him for a panicked moment. The stage was only a few yards behind him. He had a little bit.

"Volunteering as well. I got some of the glee kids to come help out, too," Mr. Shue said with a smile. He looked at Robbie, giving an impressed nod. "Is this a personal choice or did your mother-"

"Nah, my choice. My friend and I usually help out at community centers and stuff, working with kids. One of the administrators signed us up. We've been coming for the last two years or so." He paused, hearing Lupe Fiasco's _Coming Up_ start up. He checked his watch. They were starting early. What the- "Excuse me, Mr. Shue. I gotta go. I'm late. I'll be sure to come by and say hi to you guys later, though," Robbie said in a rush, turning to run again. He just managed to hear Mr. Shue say his good-bye.

Robbie ran behind the high rise platform and grabbed a mic from a tech.

"Sorry, I'm late, man," Robbie said.

"Dre's already up there," the tech said.

"I hear him!" Robbie said, running up the stairs. He turned on his microphone.

"If you're feeling good let me hear you say 'Alright, alright!'" Robbie heard from the speakers. There was a short repeat from the crowd, but nothing too big. "I'm feeling good, so I'mma say it myself. Alright, alright."

Robbie came up onstage, walking past the band, seeing Andre out of the corner of his eye.

"Alright," Robbie said, catching his best friend's attention. He gave him a look, asking what took him so long. Robbie smiled, listening to the music play. "So, how we gon' do this one?" Andre shook his head, withholding a laugh before going into the song and simple dance routine he and Robbie had come up with.

Down in the audience, the New Directions kids' heads shot up, hearing Robbie's voice. Mr. Shue looked up at the stage, shocked to see the teenager as well. He'd figured that the boy was volunteering at a booth like the rest of them. He hadn't expected him to be one of the performing acts. None of them had ever seen Robbie ever perform in an individualist way. Sure, he was with another person, but they could focus much better on him. He hadn't auditioned for New Directions; they just knew he could sing. This just proved it. His friend was rapping, leaving the chorus and bridge to Robbie's voice.

The two young men had such different stage presences. Robbie was very calm, able to convey excitement in his cool attitude and movements. His dance moves were smooth and fluid, moving into one another with no indication where one began and the other ended. His friend was hyped. He jumped around and ran around the stage while Robbie walked. He gestured a lot as if to get his point across. Neither presence was better than the other. The fact of the matter was that the audience was engaged and Robbie had a natural stage presence. He belonged there.

"He's amazing," Rachel said as the two boys started up their rendition of _The Show Goes On_. The other students nodded their heads in agreement, watching as Robbie interacted with the crowd and occasionally backed Andre's lyrics.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe how late you were," Andre said, jumping on his best friend's back and rubbing his knuckles roughly against Robbie's scalp. He wrapped his arm around his neck for a headlock. Robbie laughed, shoving his friend off his back.<p>

"I am sorry, dude. I dunno what happened," he said, still laughing.

"I thought I was gon' have to get up there and sing your part," Andre laughed as another young man came out of the crowd. "Yo, Jay. You get that on camera?"

"Yeah. Robbie's lateness and all," their friend said as Andre fell back to walk with him. Robbie led them towards a few of the booths. Jay was the tallest of the group. His skin was tanned by his recent time spent in the sun. In his hand was a camera that Andre and Robbie were certain he never left home without. Robbie and Andre had met the lanky white boy that year and found that his eye for film came in handy.

"Yo, I'm sorry! How many times can I apologize?" Robbie laughed.

"As many times as you want. You're never living this down," Andre said distractedly, watching Jay's video of them on stage. Robbie reached a booth and knocked on the counter. He leaned on top of it, looking at the back side of the person attending it. Andre and Jay stopped behind him.

"I'll take a Coke with a side of hot teenage blonde if that's not too much to ask," Robbie said with a smirk. Quinn turned to him, smacking his bicep. Mercedes and Kurt simply laughed.

"Ha ha," Quinn said sarcastically, going to grab him a soda.

"I haven't seen you in a few weeks. How ya doin'?" Robbie asked. Quinn placed his soda on the counter in between them and leaned on it as well.

"I'm well. Losing this stupid baby weight," she answered. "And you? What have you been up to, fresh meat?"

"Ah, ah, ah. I am now a sophomore, thank you. And for your information, I've been preparing for this."

"You mean your incessant flirting?"

Robbie lifted his hand from the counter and shook it out. He hissed as if he'd just been hurt.

"Ouch. That was a burn. Sorry to break your heart, but no. I've been preparing for that performance." He heard someone clear their throat behind him and glanced back. Andre shook his head, cocking an eyebrow. Robbie chuckled nervously. "Right." He looked back at the New Directions kids. "Quinn, Mercedes, Kurt, these are my boys, Andre and Jay. Andre, Jay, these are some of my friends from McKinley, Quinn, Mercedes, and Kurt."

"Nice to meet you," Quinn said, standing up straight. Robbie did the same, noting that this round of their game was over.

"Nice to meet you guys, too," Jay said.

"Yeah. We've heard so much about you," Andre said, giving a look to his best friend. Robbie knew that the statement was aimed mainly at Quinn. Robbie kicked his leg back, managing to hit Andre's ankle. The dark-skinned boy merely smiled.

"Robbie!" an excited voice called. Robbie turned his head, finding his half-sister. Rachel hugged him, having a running start. Robbie squeezed her, lifting her a bit.

"Rachel!" Robbie mocked. He put her down.

"You guys were amazing," she complimented, looking up at her younger brother. Robbie smiled and nodded. He was finding that his sister's compliments were almost as great as his mother's. Over the last few weeks, he had been spending time with Finn and Rachel. He sometimes went to lunch with them or went to Rachel's house when his mom didn't need help with Beth. Robbie and Rachel were becoming thick as thieves.

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. I didn't know you guys would be here today," Robbie said. He quickly added, "I meant to invite you guys."

"You need community service hours to graduate. Mr. Shue suggested this," Finn explained. "How'd you get involved?"

"Andre's mom," Robbie said. He introduced Rachel, Finn, and Mr. Shue to Andre and Jay before continuing. "They used to be heavily involved in the organization, highly against domestic abuse. Wanted to help in the aftermath. Me and Dre are all about helping the kids, inspiring them, ya know." Robbie shrugged.

"That's great of you guys," Mr. Shue said, looking back and forth between the three boys.

"Yo, it was nice meeting you all. Robbie, I gotta get back to my mom's booth, help her out," Andre said, patting his friend on the back. Robbie looked back at him.

"A'ight. I'mma stay for a bit. Just tell my mom I'm over here," Robbie said.

"You got it," Andre said, holding out a hand. Robbie slapped it with his, initiating their personal handshake from childhood. Andre and Jay gave a short wave before disappearing into the crowd. Robbie turned back to the McKinley folk.

"So, y'all need any more help? I am the expert around these parts."

* * *

><p>Another part of Robbie's summer regime was early weekday workouts with Andre. Jay never participated, feeling he was too weak for the activity. Andre and Robbie swore to themselves that they would get him to join them one day. But, for now, the duo was on their own as they often were. Andre and Robbie might as well have been attached at the hip. It was rare to see them apart. They worked out together, they volunteered together, they did dance together (well, except ballet), a third of Robbie's performances were with Andre. It had been this way for everything since they were three.<p>

Robbie curled his arm, pulling up the dumbbell, bicep showing off its healthy bulge. Andre was nearby working on his calve muscles. It was now eleven in the morning and they'd been at the gym for an hour and fifteen minutes. They had gotten up at nine and met up at 10:25, the walk to the gym a twenty minute workout in itself. The two were used to it after two summers. They pretty much walked around the city by themselves all the time.

Robbie took a deep inhale through his nose, lifting the weight, and sharply exhaled as his arm slowly descended, a burn in his muscle flaring. No pain, no gain, right? He wasn't an athlete. Robbie just liked to look good. Although he was still pretty much rocker boy, his musical dreams had slightly shifted. For the most part, he imagined himself being an eclectic music artist, a bit like Christina Aguilera or Michael Jackson. He sometimes stated he wanted to be Thomas Dutton, Jason Mraz, Justin Timberlake, and Chris Brown rolled up in one package. He wasn't sure how that would work out, but that would come in due time.

The teenager looked around the rather empty gym. Most people were either at work or finding something else to do with their summer time. Or they were just sleep. But Robbie observed those around him anyway. There were two overly buff men at the bench press. Body builders, Robbie assumed. A couple of others were working out their legs by Andre. The list could go on. There were even a few people on treadmills. His eyes stopped there. Someone he knew was on one of those treadmills.

He placed the dumbbells on their shelf in the correct place before pulling his sweat rag from the pocket of his basketball shorts. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, smoothing his raven hair back from his forehead. He stuffed it back in, letting some of the rag hang out, before jogging over to the treadmills. He stepped onto one and set it to a steady pace. Nothing too fast. He didn't want to bust his ass and be one of those "America's Funniest Home Video" videos or the next sensation on YouTube (instead of for his singing, of course).

Robbie started up the jog, growing accustomed to its pacing. He frequently glanced at his nearby acquaintance, but they didn't seem to notice him. In fact, they had headphones in and there was a small book placed on top of the display screen. After a few minutes of observation, Robbie, still jogging in place, leaned over and tapped on their treadmill.

Quinn looked up in shock. Robbie simply smiled.

"Oh, no. Robbie, are you following me? Stalking is simply not tolerable," she teased. Robbie couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat and fell from his lips. He looked straight ahead again before giving her his attention again.

"Me? Stalking you? I think it's the other way around. I've been coming here the last two years," he replied. He gave her half a nod. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you at the festival. Losing all this baby fat. I need to be in shape for cheerleading this year. My mom recommended this gym. What are you doing here?"

"Your mother has great taste in gyms. I'm just here to work out, strengthen up, ya know? I'm kinda into my fitness. I wanna look good."

"Aww. Little man wants to get rid of his bird chest," Quinn mocked. Robbie shook his head, laughing with her. He had to admit, she hit him with some good one liners sometimes.

"Sweetheart," he lifted his shirt with one hand, turning his upper body toward her, "this is not a bird chest. This is like Taylor Lautner, pre-Twilight status. He was still pretty muscular back then."

Quinn looked away after a quick moment. Not quick enough. She still got a good enough look to know that Robbie was indeed fit. Probably more fit than some of the football players at McKinley. It was rather shocking to her, to be honest. Robbie had never struck her as the fitness type. Apparently, she had been incorrect.

"Doing a good job there."

"Thank you. You're doing really great at getting rid of the baby weight. In fact, you look really good," Robbie complimented sincerely. He knew girls could be very sensitive about their looks. Quinn seemed to be pretty high on that list despite probably being the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

Eventually, they joined Andre in their workout. Over those next few weeks, Robbie and Andre became like personal trainers to her, helping get rid of what little belly she had left from the pregnancy. The three seemed to get along rather well, constantly encouraging one another and singing songs that they liked. And after their time at the gym, Quinn was generous enough to give them a ride home. She always dropped Andre off first. By dropping off Robbie, she learned the location of her daughter's residence. She always felt the urge to ask Robbie about her, but figured it was probably best she didn't. So, she kept her mouth shut.

So, on weekdays, Quinn spent her mornings with Robbie and his best friend. Some weekends, she saw Robbie when some of the McKinley kids hung out. One Sunday, he even performed for her church's worship session, which was a shock to her. Apparently, a few teens at the church had seen him perform at a weekly Christian gathering and had suggested him to their pastor. He'd insisted on not being paid, because he was doing God's work. Quinn's mom had especially liked that.

And then one day at the gym, Robbie had suggested the two of them hang out. Go get some food at a diner near his place. Quinn had agreed, finding that she rather enjoyed his company. She felt comfortable with herself when she was with him, knowing he wouldn't judge her.

So, that afternoon, at around four, Quinn showed up in front of his apartment building. She dialed his number and he answered on the second ring.

"Hey, I'm here," she informed him.

"Oh, cool. Um, I need a few minutes. Come on up. Floor 4, apartment 419. I'll buzz you up," he replied, sounding rather distracted. Quinn got out of her car and went to the door. A few moments later, the intercom buzzed and the door unlocked for her. She was finally going to the home of her daughter. She took the elevator up and walked nervously to the apartment. Robbie only took a few moments to answer when she knocked. "Sorry. I'm totally rushing to get ready. I didn't think I'd be in the shower so long."

As she stepped in, Quinn could hear rock music coming from one of the bedrooms. She assumed it was his room. Her eyes roamed the living room to her left, seeing the back of the couch, the coffee table in front of it, and the medium sized TV. To the side of the couch was a play pen that looked similar to a very deep crib. It was surrounded by baby toys, not to mention filled with them.

Robbie passed by her, moving in front of her. He picked up a stuffed baby tiger. He ran his fingers through his damp wavy hair.

"Sorry about the mess. I was playing with Beth earlier," he told her. He did a hook shot, hoping the stuffed animal would land in the play pen. It was then that Quinn realized he was shirtless.

"Where is Beth?" Quinn asked, hoping that she was here. Robbie went to his room, gesturing for her to follow him.

"My mom took her out to the park and to run some errands, so they're not home," he answered with disinterest. "I just need a shirt and my wallet and stuff and we can go." He went to his drawer which was set under his window. He bent down, pulling out a v-neck black shirt. He put it on.

Quinn found herself drawn to his rather messy desk, her eyes trailing over the shelves of CDs above his computer. Her fingers traced over each title and artist.

"Huge Christina Aguilera fan?" she asked sarcastically, looking at all six of her albums, including one in Spanish and her holiday one. Robbie looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Oh, yeah. That's my dream wife. I don't care if she's married. I like Demi Lovato, too."

"And Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy and AC/DC and Led Zeppelin and Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson. Lots of the Jackson family actually. Interesting collection. Usher, Chris Brown along with Breaking Benjamin and Nickelback. Who are Trip Lee and Jimmy Needham?" She looked back at Robbie who was connecting his wallet chain to his belt loop. He glanced up at her through his eyelashes.

"Christian artists. Two of my favorites actually. Jimmy Needham is the one who sings the songs I did at your church."

"Oh, cool. And what is Razia's Shadow?" she asked, pulling the album off the shelf. She looked at it, front and back. Robbie's smile grew. As he placed his wallet in his back pocket, he walked over to her.

"I figured you wouldn't know what that is. Razia's Shadow is only one of the greatest musicals and albums ever. At least, it is in my opinion," he said. "You should take a listen to it. I'll let you borrow it." Quinn turned around, sitting on the edge of his desk. She looked up at him.

"What's it about?" she asked.

"Um, it's about an angel and his descent into darkness," Robbie said simply.

"Sounds depressing."

"It's also about redemption. It's kind of hard to explain. You just need to listen to it. You'll enjoy it."

"Mmm. Well, how about this? I listen to a CD you recommend, you do the same for me," she suggested. Robbie nodded and shrugged all at once.

"Bring it on. Whatcha got?"

"I take it you're not a Justin Bieber fan," she said with a devious smirk.

"You know I don't like him. Why would you- no. No, Quinn."

"We had a deal," she pointed out. Robbie sighed. He tilted his head back and forth, thinking over his options. She was right. They had agreed. How had he not seen that coming, though?

"Alright, fine. I will listen to a Justin Bieber album and try to keep an open mind. We'll grab it from your house later." He picked up his military-style jacket and put it on. "Come on. Let's get out of here. I'm starving." He grabbed his house key off his desk and turned off his computer, silencing his music.

Robbie led her out to her car and gave her directions to the diner. It was only a couple blocks away, the same place where he had told his father to walk out of his life. It was a favorite place of his and his mother's. They'd been coming to that diner since he was six and even knew the owner of the establishment.

He took her to a table close to the counter and held out her seat for her.

"Ooh, aren't you a gentleman?" she teased.

"I was brought up that way," he said with a smile as she sat down. He sat in the seat across from her, moving it a bit closer to hers so they could talk a bit easier.

Now, of course, Robbie had intended this to be a friendly hang out. Just two friends. But when you brought a female friend to a restaurant where every employee knew you and had never once seen you on a date, people were bound to assume otherwise. At several points, Robbie had even pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a force smile, conveying his utter embarrassment.

Halfway through their meal, Robbie said, "I am so sorry. I didn't think they would react like that." Quinn simply laughed.

"They seem to know you really well," she said, not knowing how else to reply.

"Yeah. Well enough to the point where they all know I've never been on a real date before. So this is kind of embarrassing. And I know my mom's going to hear some gossip about this," he replied. Quinn gave another small laugh before looking at her food. They both went silent, Robbie continuing eating, Quinn simply moving her food with her fork. Finally, she spoke again, catching his attention. He looked up, still chewing.

"You do know that this isn't a date, right? Like," she paused, trying to find the words. "Me and you aren't-" She stopped again, still stumbling over her words. Robbie stared at her, but he did know what she meant. He leaned back in his seat, swallowing.

"I know this isn't a date. Wasn't meant to be," he replied. He rubbed his chin with two fingers and his thumb for a moment before continuing. He leaned forward toward her, grabbing the arm of her chair. "I'll be completely honest with you, though, Quinn. I do like you."

The blonde stared at him for a long moment and Robbie was sure she had just gotten short of breath. Was that a good thing?

"Robbie, we- we can't," she said. She looked down at the table before meeting his bright eyes. "I mean, nothing against you. You are an awesome guy. It's just," she paused, "I'm not ready to be in a relationship again. After Beth, I just feel like I need to find myself and I-" Robbie raised a finger to stop her.

"I understand. You need time. But let it be known, when you are ready, I will be standing by, waiting for the green light," he said seriously. And Quinn knew that he was not kidding. He gave her a boyish smile, one that she'd grown so used to. "But that doesn't mean we still can't hang out for these next two weeks. Before school starts. Like tonight at Kurt's."

Quinn smiled and nodded. He was certainly taking this better than most.

"Of course, we can still hang out."

"Great. Plus, me and Dre are running the worship gathering this Wednesday. I want you to come again. Some of the other teens really liked you."

"I'll be there."

Robbie smiled and Quinn returned it. And so, their next two weeks came and went quickly and, despite their "Only friends" rule, the two occasionally found themselves physically closer than most friends and hugs tended to linger. And they weren't the only ones that summer to notice.

**A/N: When I pictured this chapter in my head, most of those descriptions of what happened over weeks and weeks were actually detailed parts. Glad I shortened them to paragraphs and short descriptions. I kinda feel like I spent too much time on Robbie and Quinn, but it was definitely the fun part to write, so whatever. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave your comments, questions, predictions. I love reading them. Season 2 will probably take a while to write.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Auditions**

"Here we have, Robbie Corcoran, brother to Rachel Berry."

Robbie's head shot up, eyebrow cocked. Um, who was this talking and why did he know his name? The teen had a red afro… awkward…_ Then again, white guys generally can't pull off an afro if their hair isn't reddish_, Robbie thought. He fixed his backpack on his shoulder, ignoring the camera pointed at him and the microphone in this boy's hand. He simply continued packing his bag with his necessary supplies.

"So, Robbie, how are you liking it here at McKinley High?" Robbie sighed. Now he was interviewing him. What the hell? _Think of it as preparation_, Robbie thought to himself, taking a deep breath.

"I'm liking it so far, but the day really hasn't started yet. You know my name. What's your name, man?" Robbie said, looking into the camera. His gaze returned to his locker once he was done speaking.

"Jacob. Will you miss Carmel High School?"

Robbie shrugged in response.

"Not really. I mean, I'll miss my friends, but not much else. Trust me."

"So, is it true that you're gay?"

Robbie paused in his actions. Wait. What? Was this guy serious? Robbie shook his head, looking back at the camera. He let out a laugh of disbelief, saying, "I'm sorry, what? No, I'm not gay. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, the hair style, first off. You were seen over the summer wearing eye liner. You're part of the Glee club. It all just fits together. It's okay if you are. Kurt is single."

Robbie laughed.

"Dude, I'm not gay. Trust me." Robbie closed his locker, turning directly to Jacob. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm just passing along what I've heard."

"Hey," a voice interrupted. Robbie felt a hand grip his bicep. His glance went in that direction finding a certain beautiful blonde. Where a glare had once been, a smile overcame. One of her hands came under his arm to grab him while the other hand rested over it. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, this jackass is just bothering me and accusing me of being gay," Robbie replied in a sarcastically content voice. Quinn prevented herself from rolling her eyes, looking at Josh.

"He's not gay, Jacob. Go harass someone else please. Shouldn't you be asking Rachel for a pair of underwear or something," Quinn defended. "Come on, Robbie. Let me show you to your class." She let go of his arm and led the new kid away. Robbie smirked. _Certainly not gay_, he thought, looking Quinn over from behind.

Jacob and his cameraman turned to follow them with the lens, but their tilt down was too slow to catch Robbie slipping his hand into Quinn's as they disappeared down the crowded hall.

* * *

><p>"These are comments from Jacob Bin Israel's recent blog," Shuester said before reading, "'Glee is a giant ball of suck.'"<p>

"We get it, Mr. Shue," Kurt chimed in before the teacher could continue. "Everyone still hates us. So what? So, we're plankton on the high school food chain. The only difference now is that none of us really care."

"Kurt's right," Mercedes agreed. "We're a family. They can bring it all they want. None of it's gonna break us."

"I'm really happy you guys have all bonded. The problem is that all of this negative stuff is keeping other students from auditioning," Shuester pointed out. There was a moment of silence before someone spoke up again.

"Good. Why do we need new members?" Tina said.

"Well, since Matt transferred, we only have eleven members."

Robbie looked around before raising a hand.

"Um, twelve," Robbie said.

"Right, yeah. Sorry, Robbie. Forgot you were joining us this year. But, guys, if we wanna go to Nationals, if we wanna beat Vocal Adrenaline, we have to go from small rebel force to giant wall of sound," Mr. Shue said, explaining his position. Rachel nodded her agreement, though she wasn't fond of the possibility that someone might upstage her. That just wouldn't do.

"Yeah, Mr. Shuester's right, you guys," the Jewish girl said, standing up and walking towards the teacher. "You didn't see Vocal Adrenaline at Regionals." Robbie nodded slowly, remembering the winning performance well. "They were epic. We're gonna need more voices in order to beat them."

Finn glanced around before standing and saying, "Yeah, I'm with Rachel on this one."

"Gross," Brittany mumbled.

Robbie stood as well, going to his sister and her boyfriend, showing his agreement.

"Despite them winning with my song, Rachel and Mr. Shue are right. I may have only been in Vocal Adrenaline for a year and left them before Regionals, but I've studied them for the last four years. I trained myself to be one of them. They'll do anything to win. They are an army of karaoke robots. Their technique is flawless," Robbie said. The others looked at him, wondering why he would describe them in such an intimidating fashion. "If you want to beat them, you either become them or you show more heart and talent than them."

"Robbie's right. You're gonna have to trust me on this one, guys," Shue said, arms crossed over his chest. "Now, here's the plan. Nationals are in New York this year. And we are _going_. Now let's go out there and show this school how cool it's gonna be. How cool we can be. If they're not gonna come to us, let's go to them. They say we only sing showtunes and 80's pop, let's show them how down we are. Let's give them the song of the year. New Directions style." Mr. Shuester, arms still crossed, leaned slightly to the side, doing an imitation of a hip-hop pose. A few of the members clapped. Robbie glanced at the still posing teacher.

"A'ight, but I'mma ask that you never say 'how down we are' again. That's totally not 'down,'" he said with a chuckle.

* * *

><p>The thing that Robbie knew he liked about New Directions was that, even when they were all dressed the same, each person's personality came through. Or, as he said in his mind, everyone had their own swag. Rachel had an obvious Broadway performer attitude, even while performing hip-hop. But at least she was always enthusiastic and put on a great show. Puck, Mercedes, Artie, Tina, and Mike all had naturally cool attitudes and even made be excited look fun. It was obvious that they were likeable people. Finn had an awkward swag… Robbie didn't know what to say about that. Maybe he'd just been trying too hard to be hood in this performance. Kurt… Man, that guy was the gayest boy Robbie had ever met and it showed in his performance, but it kind of worked for him. Although, it was a bit awkward in this performance, it was certainly amusing. And then there were the Cheerios… All Robbie could say was their swag had been honed and was infinite which was obvious as they made their appearance coming down the school stairs. Those lucky stair railings.<p>

As for Robbie? His swag depended on what was needed. In this case, Robbie was very cool, calm, and laidback. He had sat on the table next to Rachel while she danced on top of it, nodding his head to the music in a nonchalant manner. The whole performance had been rather fun and executed brilliantly… that didn't mean it was a success.

"This school sucks," Robbie said when no one in the quad responded. Hell, not even a "boo." It was as if there had never been any loud music or twelve teenagers dancing around. At least there would have been some sort of reaction at Carmel. Here? Nothing at all. This couldn't bode well for New Directions.

* * *

><p>Robbie slumped into his chair at the dinner table. Placing his elbows on the sides of his place, he clasped his hands together above his plate, bowing his head against them. He murmured a short prayer before lifting his head again. He quickly dug into the food on his plate. He was suddenly remembering why he hated school. The loads of homework on top of his other activities.<p>

Shelby smiled at her son, feeding the new member of their family. She'd found a part time job to support them until she found one that would be better accommodating for her and her children. They were getting by for now.

"How's school so far?" she asked, glancing at him again. She watched the front of his raven hair fall over his face. He lifted his head, flipping it out of sight. He shrugged.

"It's school. Just trying to get more people to join the Glee club. McKinley is definitely not as artistically supportive as Carmel. Mercedes, Mike, and Tina got slushied the other day."

"Slushied?"

"The other students like to throw slushies in the faces of the glee club. Thankfully for me, I have not been hit… yet. Puck is pretty sure it's bound to happen soon."

Shelby grimaced, not liking that idea. Robbie noticed and shrugged.

"Teenagers are evil. What can I say? I'll be fine."

"Well, I'm glad you are getting along well with the others," Shelby said. Robbie nodded. It was rare they discussed him hanging out with the members of New Directions. She preferred avoiding the topic of Rachel Berry. Robbie understood and obliged. "How are you and Quinn?"

Robbie cocked an eyebrow. His mom had certainly noticed the growing closeness between him and the girl, but she'd never once commented on it. It was strange for her to suddenly ask about it.

"Friends. I haven't really seen her much around campus to be honest."

"Mmm. How strange. You two were thick as thieves over the summer."

Robbie laughed, "Me, her, and Andre."

Shelby nodded.

"You don't need to be distracted by girls anyway. Academics and music. Remember, your academics aren't up, music is out the window. Understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

><p>Robbie looked at Coach Sylvester with a cocked eyebrow as she left the bathroom. His gaze shifted to the bathroom door again when he heard someone else exiting. Robbie smiled, recognizing her as one of the new girls in school. It was nice not to be the only new kid at the school who wasn't a freshman. She and Sam seemed to make transitioning much easier.<p>

He looked back across the hall at the lockers. What had been going on in that bathroom? It sounded like an all-out sing off in there. And to be honest, Robbie couldn't tell who won. In his opinion, his sister had one of the best voices he'd ever heard. However, the new girl had a lovely voice, very good for pop music from what he'd heard. Whatever the case was, the girl could sing and at that moment, that was the only thing that mattered. She would be perfect for New Directions if they wanted to beat Vocal Adrenaline.

He heard the door open again and looked at his older sister as she exited.

"What was that about?" he asked, pushing himself off the wall to follow her down the hall. He stuffed his hands into the tight pockets of his jeans, hunching his shoulders. Rachel glanced around the hallway before looking at her brother.

"Nothing. Just getting to know the new girl."

"Well, whatever it was, she sounded amazing. She would be a great weapon against Vocal Adrenaline." He felt his phone vibrate against his hand and pulled it out. He unlocked it before looking at the missed text message. His brows furrowed together, reading it was from Finn. "I'll, uh, see you in a bit. Finn wants me to meet him in the Glee room."

"Okay, I'll see ya later then."

Still looking at his phone, Robbie turned and ran down the hall.

* * *

><p>"So, Sam, tell us about yourself," Finn said with a small shrug. Robbie, like the other four boys next to him, observed the blonde boy in front of him. He was a new kid in school, like Robbie, and a jock, like Finn, Puck, and Mike. The question that Robbie kept asking himself, though, was how Finn knew this boy could sing. They really knew nothing about him, hence asking about him.<p>

"My name's Sam Evans. I like comic books," the blonde began. "sports. I'm dyslexic, so my grades aren't that good, but I'm workin' on it."

"Dude, your mouth is huge," Puck chimed in. Robbie glanced at the teenager sitting next to him before returning his gaze to Sam, more specifically his mouth. His eyebrow cocked up. Puck was right. This dude did have a rather large mouth. "How many tennis balls can you fit in there?" A small snort escaped Robbie from trying to prevent unexpected laughter.

"I don't know. I've never had balls in my mouth. Have you?" Sam replied. Robbie couldn't stop himself from laughing hysterically, his body hunching forward. Puck was becoming a good friend of Robbie's and Robbie could see Sam becoming one, too. He was quick witted and the brunette could appreciate that.

Finn leaned over toward Artie who returned the gesture.

"I like this kid," Finn muttered.

"I like his confidence," Artie replied. "But the Bieber cut's gotta go."

Finn stood up, going toward Sam. The other four stayed in their seats, still observing their potential teammate.

"So, can you sing with that big mouth?" Puck asked.

"I've never really sung in front of people before," Sam said as the jock stood up, going toward their band. Robbie followed him, but stopped, putting a hand on the new kid's shoulder.

"There's a first time for everything," he said before going to grab his guitar which spent the day in the glee club room.

"Let me tell ya, chicks dig singers," Puck added.

"Give it a shot," Finn said, handing Sam a guitar. "We'll back you up, I promise. What song ya go in your back pocket?"

"Um," Sam paused, "Billionaire." Finn snapped, pointing at their new friend before going to the drum set. Robbie came closer to the group, guitar in place as he leaned against the piano. He looked at Sam to start them up. And as it turned out, Sam was pretty good. Robbie nodded as they finished their little jam session. "That was fun!" Robbie gave the blonde a high five.

"Nice," Finn said. "So, you think you can come back and do that in front of everybody?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>Robbie plucked at his guitar strings in a random, but rhythmic melody as they all sat in the glee room, waiting for someone, anyone to come in and audition. So far, their luck was rather short. Not to mention, time seemed to be ticking slowly, because they all kept looking up at the clock in silence. After the first twenty-five minutes, Robbie had pulled his guitar from its case and no one seemed to complain. Shue, Mercedes, Puck, Finn, Santana, and Brittany surrounded the piano while the rest sat in their usual seats, Robbie on the floor next to them.<p>

"Well, hate to break it to you," Rachel said, getting up and running towards the piano. Robbie stopped playing his guitar, looking at her through his long black hair. "But it doesn't look like anyone's going to be joining us. I think we should just call it a day."

"No, we said three to five. It's only 4:58."

"Only 4:58?" Robbie emphasized as everyone began getting up to leave. Even he stood up and put his guitar in its case.

"Just wait. My buddy, Sam, is going to try out. He totally idolizes me," Finn said, eyes still on the clock. Robbie finished packing up his stuff and left the room.

"Face it, Finn," Kurt said, speeding past him. He turned slightly to look at Finn. "You're not the quarterback. You're not the pied piper anymore. No one's gonna follow you around, thinking everything you do is cool." Kurt continued his walk out the door, following a few of the others.

Robbie kind of understood Finn's disappointment. Sam was a great talent. He could have made a great addition to the group. It was too bad he didn't audition.

"What about that Sunshine girl?" Mercedes asked Rachel, walking over to her. "You said she could sing."

"I guess she didn't want to hang out with us losers," Rachel excused, leading Mercedes out the nearby door.

* * *

><p>Yeah, that Sunshine girl was amazing. Definitely better than having to listen to her from outside of the bathroom door. He felt kind of bad for his sister, though, as he sat by her during the audition. What she had done to Sunshine was horrible. Not unforgivable, but definitely cruel. He was angry about that. However, he understood her motivations. Survival of the fittest, right? And, in this case, it was survival of the most talented. Rachel was one of the most talented girls he'd ever met, definitely in this club. Not only that, she had the heart and the motivation to do something with that talent and get the hell out of Lima, just like him. They were innately competitive and didn't like for their talent to be undermined. In other words, Rachel was scared. In all honesty, Robbie admitted he would have been, too.<p>

Outside in the hall, Robbie knocked on the locker next to Quinn's open one. Quinn took a quick glance at him, putting her books in her locker. Robbie looked her over. This was the first time he'd ever seen her in her cheerleading uniform. Why was she the epitome of the stereotypical high school cheerleader? It just was not fair when you were trying to remain just friends.

"Haven't really seen you since school started," he said, adjusting his backpack strap on his shoulder. He leaned back against the lockers, watching her. She smiled softly and shrugged.

"I'm a busy girl. Academics. Glee club. Captain of the cheerleading squad," she replied.

"I see that. Congratulations on getting your spot back. Although, Santana didn't seem too excited about that," Robbie noted. Quinn paused, but didn't look at him.

"You saw that?"

"Kinda hard to miss. You guys were throwing each other around the other day." Quinn closed her locker. Gently, Robbie's fingers traced over her cheek. She pulled her face away. "Come on. Let me see. It looked like Santana pushed you to the ground rather hard." Quinn sighed, letting him softly turn her head towards him. He ran his thumb over her left cheek, cocking his head to the side. "Looks okay. No bruises at least." He drew his hand back from her face. "So, finish my CD?"

"Several times, in fact. It's in my car if you wanna get it now," Quinn answered, happy for the change of discussion.

"Absolutely. I'll bring yours tomorrow, seeing as I still can't drive." Quinn closed her locker and began walking to leave. Robbie walked in step with her. "So, let's test if you actually listened to the album."

"How ya gonna do that?" Quinn asked. Robbie put a fist to his lips, clearing his throat. When he removed his hand, he began to sing.

"_Place your hand on mine. Untie your mind_," he began. He went silent to see if she could continue. The cheerleading captain smiled, but didn't return his glance. Robbie cocked an eyebrow. She seemed to be stalling and he was wondering if maybe she'd lied about listening to the album. He opened his mouth to call her out on it, but she interrupted.

"_Let your bloated brain balloon and float away_," she finished, her singing voice making the lyrics soft and airy. Robbie smiled, letting out a short chuckle.

"You got Genesis. Let's see if you can keep it going," he said. "_Oh, you're the meaning. Nidria, please listen. I'd like to explain. I meant to tell you sooner; it's been gnawing at my brain_."

Quinn exited the school, Robbie holding the door open for her. He followed her down the steps. The blonde turned to him, a smirk on her face. The rocker boy gave a smile, showing off only his top row of teeth. She was so cocky.

"_My mind's in knots; it's got me lost. Please help me through the maze. 'Cause you're the key, the lock turning_," she finished.

"_The breaking of these chains_," Robbie sang with her. He shook his head. "A'ight. Last test, okay?" He cleared his throat. "_You're a fool to think this princess could ever really love a couple of poor boys like us. She requires riches, recherché, riding with rodomontading roués_."

"_Casanovas have charmed with chiffons, so chichi. Chased her with their conceited coteries_," Quinn finished.

"Oh, man. You even got the alliterations. That's actually one of my favorite parts of the whole album. I've never been good with writing alliteration, so I appreciate it when I hear it," he said. "Good job. You actually listened to it."

"My turn to test you," Quinn said, stopping at her car. She pulled her keys from her bag, but leaned against the car instead of unlocking it. She cocked her head to the side, giving a soft "hmm." Finally, she said, "_Baby_'s too easy. So, _Eenie Meenie_."

"_Let me show you what you're missin'. Paradise. With me, you're winning, girl_," he sang immediately. He leaned in close to her, his face a few inches from hers. He'd grown comfortable with invading her personal space. She hadn't seemed to mind over the summer. He didn't see why she'd mind now. "_You don't have to roll the dice. Tell me what you're really here for. Them other guys? I can see right through ya_."

Quinn placed her fingers on his chest and pushed him back.

"Don't get too cocky. Trying to charm with your runs. I see through you, too. Try _Stuck in the Moment_." She crossed her arms over her chest, watching him. Robbie laughed, looking around.

"I could lose my cool rep by singing this."

"You lost it when you joined the glee club. Come on. Sing for me."

"Damn. You make me sound like a dog." He laughed, looking at the ground. "Uh, _now, Romeo and Juliet, I bet they never felt the way we felt. Bonnie and Clyde never had to hide like we do, we do. You and I both know it can't work. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt and I know I won't let that be you_."

"There you go again with the runs. You picked up on these fast. Okay, last one, and then I'm going home. _Runaway Love_?"

"I was hoping you'd say that one," he said, probably more enthusiastically than he should have. He backed up so he cleared the space of her car. He looked around the parking lot, making sure there were no oncoming cars. He pulled up the sleeves of his jacket.

"What are you doing?" Quinn asked, confused by his sudden excitement and movement. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"_I'm running out of time. Where is my runaway love?_" he began, beginning a hip-hop routine as he sang. His movements were as smooth as they'd been the day he'd performed at the festival as well as more complicated. Movements, while fluid, were also more pronounced. "_Searching low and high, know that I'm not giving up. I'd give it all up for us. It'll never be enough. I won't stop until I find my runaway love_."

Quinn laughed, clapping. Robbie bowed, walking over to her. He leaned against her car, crossing his own arms over his chest.

"Wow. I got a full on performance. Someone had more fun than they wished, listening to that CD."

Robbie shrugged.

"I'll admit, he's not bad," he said. His black hair fell over his eye. Quinn reached up and moved the long front piece to see his eyes. Robbie chuckled.

"Gosh, thought you said you got a haircut."

"I did."

"You did? What is this falling in front of your eye then?" Quinn laughed. Robbie shrugged. He turned his head slightly to give another view of his hair.

"Cut the back, left the front," he explained. He directed his attention back to her. "I wouldn't call them bangs, seeing as they're technically not. It's just long." Quinn shook her head.

"A'ight, rocker boy. Off my car." She unlocked her door and got in. Robbie nudged himself off of her car as she got in. He took a few steps back towards the car next to hers.

"TGIF tomorrow. Guess I'll see ya later, Fabray," he said. Quinn looked at him before closing her door. She gave a short wave.

"Later, Corcoran. Hope you had a great first week at McKinley."


	13. Chapter 13

**Grilled Cheesus**

"Hey, did I hear you say you have a spare ticket to the sing along Sound of Music at the El Royale theater?" Robbie asked, catching Kurt's attention. The fair teenager turned to him, shocked that Robbie was even speaking to him, even more shocked that he knew about the Sound of Music event. It only happened once a year. As to the first part, well, Robbie spent most of his time with Rachel, Finn, or Quinn. Even Puck or Artie. But that was about it so far.

Looking at Robbie in this moment, Kurt had to once again admit to himself it was a shame that the younger teen wasn't gay. With his pretty brown eyes, long, dark hair, flawless skin, and his occasional obsession with "guy liner," Robbie was definitely attractive. Although, Kurt had never been very attracted to rockers.

"Yes, why?" Kurt replied.

"Well, you said spare, which implies not having someone to go with, so I was wondering if you'd mind if I came with? I'd pay you back for the ticket, of course. I've been putting off buying my own."

Kurt smiled, head cocking and eyebrows raising in shock. Robbie liked The Sound of Music? That wasn't something he'd anticipated. He certainly didn't look the type. Well, went to show you, never judge a book by its cover.

"Sure, no problem. The more the merrier."

Robbie smiled wide, showing off sparkling teeth. The smile seemed to brighten up his face and his eyes twinkled. Talk about a beautiful smile.

"Thanks, man. I usually would go with mom, but she's gotta watch Beth, so…" Robbie trailed off.

"No problem."

"Cool. I'll pay you for the ticket at lunch," Robbie said, walking away from the smaller young man. Kurt watched him. What an unexpected encounter.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Shue, I have something to say," Finn said, raising his hand. Shue gave him a look, implying that he had the floor. The awkwardly tall athlete stood and the glee club gave him their attention. "Something happened to me," he continued, walking to the front of the room. "And I can't really get into it, but it's shaken me to my core."<p>

From the back of the room, Puck said, "Oh, my God, he's coming out."

Robbie let out a snort, looking back at the bad boy.

"Shut up, Puck," he said quietly, still chuckling.

"Why yes," Finn said. Robbie's head snapped back towards the front, eyes wide and jaw dropped. "There is a man who has recently come into my life. And," Finn paused. Kurt looked almost as if he might be sick. "That man is Jesus Christ." Rachel gave him a look of confusion, head slightly cocked, mouth open, brows furrowed.

"That's way worse," Puck said. Shue shot Puck a look.

"And I know there's others in here that dig him, too," Finn said. Quinn smiled radiantly at her ex's confession. "And so I thought maybe this week, we could pay tribute to him in music. Ya know, pay tribute to Jesus."

"At least someone finally found Christ in this room," Robbie commented. He felt a soft shove at the back of his head. He glanced back, noticing Quinn withdrawing her hand.

"Sorry. If I wanted to sing about Jesus, I'd go to church. And the reason I don't go to church is because most churches don't think very much of gay people." He gave a short pause. "Or women."

"That's not true. Book of Esther," Robert intruded.

"Or science," Kurt finished.

"I don't see anything wrong with gettin' a little church up in here," Mercedes said. Robbie leaned back, holding out his hand to give her a high five.

"I agree," Quinn commented. "I had a really hard year and I turned a lot to God for help. I, for one, wouldn't mind saying thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Santana started. "That it didn't come out a lizard baby?"

"Hey, that's my little sister," Robbie said, somewhat offended.

"Whenever I pray, I fall asleep," Brittany added.

"Well, guys, maybe our song selections don't have to be about Jesus. We could do songs about," Shue looked for the word, waving around his hand, "spirituality."

Puck gave a soft scoff and rolled his eyes. Finn noticed.

"You got a problem with Jesus?" he asked sternly.

"No, I got no problem with the guy. I'm a total Jew for Jesus. He's my number one Heeb," Puck answered. "What I don't like seeing is people using J-money to cramp everybody else's style. 'Cause it seems to me that true spirituality, or whatever you wanna call it, is about enjoying the life you've been given. I mean I see God every time I make out with a new chick."

"Okay, oka- That doesn't make any sense," Rachel finally said. "In fact, it's stupid."

"Are you calling Mr. Billy Joel stupid?" Puck retorted. Rachel gave a look of irritation. "At this time," Puck stood, "I'd like to continue my streak of doing only songs by Jewish artists."

As Puck came up front, Finn returned to his seat. He picked up his guitar, telling the band to "Hit it." Meanwhile, Rachel gave her boyfriend a look of concern and shock. Finn simply looked at her, still annoyed with Puck's reaction to the whole thing. The piano started "Only the Good Die Young". A few of the members began dancing and grooving in their seats. And then Artie, Santana, Brittany, Mike, and Tina went down to join Puck. Mercedes and Quinn danced in the back. Robbie simply bobbed his head and gave a small, crooked smile. Kurt sat by the piano, not interested.

* * *

><p>The Glee club gathered into the room for another day, somberly. Kurt was the only one sitting there when they entered, obviously still not doing well. His father had suffered from a heart attack the day before and was currently in the hospital. They all felt for him. His dad was all he had left and, as Robbie looked at him, he imagined his mother suffering in a hospital. That would leave Robbie to look out for Beth on his own… well, except when Andre and his mom came to check on them. But Robbie knew he'd never be able to handle that worry that you could lose the only parent you had left.<p>

Tina approached Kurt. He stood when she reached out to hug him, letting her embrace him. When she let go, Quinn placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"Hey, Kurt," Brittany said, coming to him.

"We're really sorry about your dad's heart attack," Santana finished. Both girls held their books to their chests, looking rather innocent. But they were obviously sincere. Kurt nodded weakly.

"Thanks, Santana," he replied.

"I did a book report on heart attacks," Brittany said, reaching into her binder. She pulled out the report. "If you wanna give it to the doctor." Brittany handed it to her. Behind her, Robbie could help the small smile that graced his face. Brittany wasn't the brightest bulb in the place, but her heart was certainly in the right place. Robbie liked that. "I got knocked a whole letter grade, 'cause it was written in crayon." Kurt gave the report a look of disbelief, staring at its decorated cover.

Santana gently touched Brittany's back, leading her to their seats. Robbie approached Kurt next.

"Hey, man," Robbie said, gripping the small boy's shoulder firmly, but still being gentle with him. "Sorry about your dad. We can cancel that Sound of Music thing. I completely understand. Tell him I say get well." He did something not a lot of their team had done. He smiled. It was one of comfort and it reached his eyes. Kurt couldn't help but return it, if only a little.

Robbie had only been one step away when Finn barged in, Rachel behind him. Robbie looked over his shoulder.

"What the hell happened?" Finn said, obviously upset. Robbie turned, taking a step closer to Kurt.

"My dad's in the hospital," Kurt replied flatly.

"I know. My mom just called me. I feel like I'm the last one to know."

"I'm sorry, Finn. It didn't occur to me to call you, because he's not your father."

"Yeah, well, he's the closest I'm ever gonna get! Okay, I know it may not look like what everybody has, but I thought we were…" Finn trailed off. His voice had begun to quiver. He was obviously getting choked up. "Sort of a family."

Kurt merely gave him a look. Robbie couldn't tell if it was one of disgust or denial, but he obviously wasn't having any of what Finn was serving up, whether it was sincere or not. The boy took a seat, saying nothing more to Finn.

"Look, I guess I just – I – I didn't like over hearing other people talkin' about it in gym class," Finn added, obviously much calmer. Kurt stared up at him. His expression looked so blank as he glanced down. He reached into the next seat, removing his bag and placing it on the floor by his feet. Robbie moved up to the next level while Finn took a seat by Kurt.

"Hey, guys," Shue said, a soft sigh following. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. "Our thoughts are all with Kurt." Finn rubbed Kurt's shoulder, suddenly highly attentive to the teenager he saw as a surrogate brother. Kurt raised a finger and wagged it, telling Finn no. The jock released him. "I know it's sort of hard to focus on anything else-"

"Mr. Shue," Mercedes interrupted. "I've been struggling trying to figure out what I wanted to say to Kurt all day. And I realized I don't wanna say it; I wanna sing it."

Mr. Shue held up a hand and gestured for her to come down.

"This song is about being in a very dark place and turning to God," she explained, handing the pianist the sheet music, though he didn't need it. She turned back towards their friends. "It's a spiritual song, Mr. Shue. Is that okay?"

"Go on," Mr. Shue said with a smile. He stepped off to the side of the room, giving Mercedes center stage.

"Tina? Quinn?" Mercedes said and the two young women rose to their feet and went to stand between the harpist and the band. "Robbie? Can you help me out please?"

The new kid stood up as well and went to sit at the piano. He whispered to their normal pianist and the older man stood and stepped aside to accommodate him. Robbie looked at the sheet music, but didn't really need to. He began to play "I Look to You," entranced not only by the melody spun by his fingertips, but by the heavenly voice that belonged to Mercedes Jones. And at a few points, though the song was meant for Kurt, he felt the pricks of tears.

The Glee club gave an applause. Kurt took a deep, calming breath.

"Thank you, Mercedes. Your voice is stunning, but I don't believe in God," Kurt said.

"Wait, what?" Tina said as she was returning to her seat, giving Kurt a look of disbelief. Robbie also looked at his new friend with a cocked brow as he moved to his seat.

"You've all professed your beliefs. I'm just stating mine. I think God is kind of like Santa Claus for adults. Otherwise, God's kind of a jerk, isn't he?" There was a pause as they all tried to take in this information. "I mean, he makes me gay and has his followers going around saying it's something that I chose as if someone would _choose_ to be mocked every single day of their life. And right now, I don't want a heavenly father. I want my real one back."

"But Kurt, how do you know for sure?" Mercedes asked. "I mean, you can't prove that there's no God."

"You can't prove that there isn't a magic teapot floating around on the dark side of the moon with a dwarf inside of it that reads romance novels and shoots lightning out of its boobs, but it seems pretty unlikely, doesn't it?"

"Is God an evil dwarf?" Brittany said softly.

"You can't prove that there's air in this room by sight, but you can feel it. I can feel you breathing. I can feel the wind. I have faith that it's there. Just like I have faith that God is there. I _feel_ Him," Robbie said, looking at Kurt. His eyes fell beyond the hurt boy, though, onto Quinn. She wasn't looking at Kurt and she looked rather shaken. And Robbie could tell what she was feeling.

"We shouldn't be talking like this. It's not right," Quinn said, finally looking at Kurt again.

"I'm with Quinn on this one. I think we may be wasting our time."

"I'm sorry, Quinn," Kurt said, standing up and grabbing his bag. "But you all can believe whatever you want to, but I can't believe in something I don't. I appreciate your thoughts." He took a deep breath. "But I don't want your prayers." And he left.

When glee club ended a few hours later, Robbie approached Quinn before she could leave. The other members were dispersing, going their separate ways. Most of them were gone by the time Robbie and Quinn began speaking.

"Hey, you okay? You were rather shaken earlier," he said, adjusting his backpack. Quinn looked around, gradually beginning to nod. She finally gazed up at him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just not used to being around people who deny God," Quinn replied. "It's," she paused, "Ya know, it actually hurts. It was almost as if he were insulting me. And at the same time I felt bad for him. Felt bad that he hadn't witnessed the God that we know."

Robbie nodded. He had figured as much. He had felt it, too. He didn't discuss religious beliefs with people often. And, although he knew he shouldn't, he usually just assumed people believed in God like he did. In his mind, he thought it was obvious that there was something bigger than all of them. They should be thankful to be alive which meant thanking whoever's fault it was. And then there was the beauty of the world around them. It had to be created, designed, planned. It couldn't have just appeared. So, there had to be God.

But that's just the way he thought.

"Yeah. I felt that," Robbie replied. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What are we supposed to do? I don't want to lose Kurt as a friend, but I feel it's wrong to just… let this go," Quinn said. "I dunno." She shrugged. "I'm just so conflicted."

"Pray," Robbie responded. "We pray. That's all we can do. Set a good example through our lives. Hope that Kurt finally sees God. That's all we really can do. And be there for him. That's the most important part."

Quinn nodded.

"You're right."

"You coming to the Gathering tonight?" he asked her. "Seeing as we're being all spiritual this week."

"I'll try to make it. Shouldn't you be getting to rehearsal for that?"

"I should. Come on. I'll walk you to your car," Robbie said, leading her out of the room.

* * *

><p>"I feel like there's something I should say to him, but I don't know what. I don't want to upset him. He's going through a hard time already," Robbie said before taking a sip of his room temperature water. Andre sat across from him. The auditorium of the middle school near their apartment was rented out every week for what was called The Gathering. Basically, teenagers from all over the city came to gather to praise and worship God through singing and dancing. Robbie and Andre considered it their church.<p>

Tonight, Robbie and Andre were in charge of the Gathering. In other words, they were performing. But they had about a half an hour before people started showing up. So, the band was sitting around, also talking. Robbie and Andre were sitting at the edge of stage left. Andre was sitting Indian style while Robert had one leg extended and the other bent at the knee, his back against the thin piece of wall.

Andre took a bit of his chip, listening.

"Well, I'm not surprised he doesn't believe in God. I mean, he's gay. No offense to him or anything. But it should be no offense to us either that he doesn't believe. We have to face the fact that the Christians that the public pay attention to are usually volatile," Andre said. "Yes, the Bible states that a man shall not lay with a man as he would a woman. But just because someone does that doesn't mean that we persecute them. Our sin is no less than theirs. We're all human. Our first reaction should be to love them, because God calls us to love everyone. And then we should pray."

"So, you're telling me the same thing I told Quinn? Just pray for him and hope for the best?" Robbie responded.

"Yo, you know the hoodie Pastor J always wears. 'God Can'. When we as humans can't do something, God can. 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.' Matthew 7:7."

Robbie chuckled and looked at his best friend.

"You are gonna be a pastor when you get older, man," he said. Andre shrugged, eating another chip.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll be like Trip Lee or Pastor J. Be a musician and preach," Andre said.

"Your mom would love that. Pastor Andre Jackson."

Andre laughed at the thought.

* * *

><p>"Last week we were too sexy; this week we're too religious! We can't win!" Tina said, irritated.<p>

"Now I know what Miley feels like," Brittany said.

"The real tragedy here is that I found the most perfect spiritual song to sing this week and now it's been torn away from me like Sophie's daughter," Rachel complained, using her hands to help emphasize her point. Santana rolled her eyes.

"Guys, you can still sing whatever songs you like that sum up your feelings about God, about spirit," Shue said. He took a deep breath. "You just can't do it on school time."

"I hope you're happy, Kurt," Santana said.

"Having the week of my life actually," Kurt replied sarcastically. His eyes still seemed puffy and a bit red.

"Guys," Shue warned gently. "Back off Kurt. Okay? He had every right to speak his mind."

"Look, Kurt, we're sympathetic to what you're going through," Mercedes said, "but siding with Miss Sylvester isn't going to do anyone any good."

"It's doing me some good," Kurt retorted, looking at her, legs crossed. "Now I don't have to sit around listening to all you mental patients talk about how there's a God when I know there isn't one."

Robbie looked back at Kurt.

"That's all good and well, but, as your friend, since you don't like hearing us talk about God, I'd appreciate it if you not call me a mental patient for not agreeing with you. You wonder why there's so much hate this world? It's the fact that we can't stand not to be agreed with and we have to verbally abuse one another to feel better. Think about that in your current social withdrawal," Robbie said. The other kids looked at him, but his focus remained on Kurt. "We're just trying to help."

* * *

><p>Robbie sat in a chair across from Mr. Hummel's hospital bed, next to Mercedes, listening to Rachel sing "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" His legs were crossed as were his arms as he listened to his sister and stared at the unconscious man across from him. He was silent, letting Rachel's voice reign over the room, but his thoughts were prayers of healing and he knew that Quinn and Mercedes were praying for the same as they all sat around the room, Finn and his mother watching on next to Rachel.<p>

As the song was winding down, Robbie buried his face in his hands, partially to rub the tears away and partially to focus on his prayer.

"Who's next?" Rachel announced once she was done, causing Robbie to snap his head up. He looked around and was about to volunteer when Kurt barged in.

"What's going on in here?" Kurt asked, obviously angry. His eyes were teary.

"We wer- We were just," Rachel stammered, looking to Finn's mother for help, but her gaze returned to Kurt, "praying for your dad."

"Rachel, Quinn, Robbie, and I are taking turns. We're from different denominations and religions, so we figured one of us is bound to be right," Mercedes explained.

"I didn't ask you to do this," Kurt said in almost a whisper.

"Honey, I know you're upset about what's happening. I get it, but friends help out even when you don't ask," Finn's mom said. Robbie let out a breath of relief. At least there was an adult to talk some sense into Kurt.

"Mr. Kurt Hummel," a woman asked, entering the hospital room.

"Dude, why didn't you just tell us you wanted to pray in Muslim?" Finn said. Robbie's eye twitched. He knew what Finn meant, but still. His syntax was horrible.

"I'm not Muslim," the woman said. "I'm a Sikh."

"She's going to see if acupuncture will improve circulation to my dad's brain," Kurt explained as the woman prepared to do her job. "Amazingly, needles pierce the skin better than psalms. Can you all please leave now?"

"We just wanted to do something," Rachel said.

Everyone got up leave except Robbie. He sat still, hands together and pressed against the center of his face. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up at Quinn. He let out a solemn sigh before also getting up to file out after Rachel and Mercedes.

He stopped next to Kurt, everyone out of the room except Finn's mom and him. Kurt glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" he finally said, softly. Robbie slowly turned his head to look at him.

"We're your friends, Kurt. We just wanna help you." Robbie glanced back at Kurt's father. "Wanna help your dad." He looked back out of the room, seeing the other gazing at him curiously. He looked at the tiled floor, taking a deep breath. "But we're not doctors, Kurt. And we're not psychologists to help with your sadness. All we can do is pray." He looked at Kurt again. "That's all the help we can give. And if it does actually help, how can you turn it away? Even if you don't want me to, I'm gonna pray, because it's all I can do."

He didn't expect an answer. He didn't want one. He placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder and squeezed it before leaving the room with the others.

* * *

><p>"I know things have been pretty morose around here this last week, but I wanna celebrate some good news for our little family," Mr. Shue said at the next Glee club meeting. He pointed. "Let's hear it for Finn on getting back his quarterback job and leading the Titans to a win in their second game of the season." Mr. Shue began to clap. Finn looked shocked and unsure how to react. The club joined in, causing the quarterback to smile.<p>

"Yeah, too bad that Sam kid had to have his arm basically ripped off for it to happen," Puck commented, making Finn's smile fade. "But it's good to have you back in the saddle, brother." Puck leaned forward to look at Finn.

Kurt got up and went to the front of the room.

"Mr. Shue?" The teacher looked at him, a small smile still etched on his face. "If I may?"

"Yeah."

"Um, I wanted to thank everyone for your kind emails and queries about my dad, but, uh, for your information, his condition remains the same. I need to express myself, so," Kurt looked at Shue, "with your permission, Mr. Shue, I've prepared a number for the occasion."

"Of course, Kurt," the teacher said, going to sit with his students. Kurt took a deep breath, everyone's undivided attention on him.

"On the day of my mother's funeral, when they were lowering her body into the ground, I was crying. I mean, that was it. It was the last time I was ever going to see her. And I remember I looked up at my dad and I – I just wanted him to say something," Kurt told them. "Just say something to make me feel like my whole world wasn't over. And he just took my hand and he squeezed it. And just knowing that those hands were there to take care of me, that was enough. This is for my dad."

And he began to sing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles. And by the end, he was crying.

* * *

><p>"Kurt, can I talk to you for a second?" Mercedes asked, looking across the shelf of lockers at her best friend. She gestured across the hall for Robbie to join them. He met up with her at Kurt's locker and took a deep breath. "I know you're going through a really scary time right now, but I feel like I don't know how to be around you anymore."<p>

"Yeah, man. I mean, me and you were becoming pretty good friends, ya know, with the whole Sound of Music thing," Robbie said with a shrug.

"And I know you're not spiritual or whatever," Mercedes continued, "but I feel like you're closing yourself off to a world of experiences that might surprise you."

Kurt stared at them before closing his locker gently.

"You're right," he agreed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be pushing my friends away." Mercedes gave a soft smile. "Especially friends as fabulous as you." He gently touched Mercedes' arm. Robbie cleared his throat teasingly. Kurt looked at him. "Or friends that could be quite sensational."

"Thank you," Robbie said as a joke.

"Do me a favor?" Mercedes said to Kurt. "One thing? Come to church with me this Sunday?" Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but Mercedes cut him off. "Our church does this thing where we dedicate the service to someone and I got them to dedicate this Sunday to your dad." Kurt looked almost frightened and saddened by the idea.

"I dunno."

"You get to wear a fabulous hat," Mercedes added quickly. Robbie smiled. Kurt hesitated.

"Oh, come on, Kurt. A fabulous hat and the service is for your dad?" Robbie cut in to help out. He took a hissing breath through clenched teeth. "I dunno. I don't think you can miss that. And if it helps, I'll even come with and I'm very particular about what churches I attend."

Kurt gave a small smile.

"Mercedes, you had me at fabulous hat. And thank you, Robbie." Mercedes laughed.

"Come on. Let's get to class."

* * *

><p>The church service went exceedingly well in Robbie's opinion. Kurt hadn't caught fire when he stepped over the threshold and he'd been rather receptive to the whole experience. While Mercedes spent most of the service with her choir, Robbie sat next to Kurt for support. Kurt, in his lovely plaid suit jacket and fabulous black hat. Robbie, much more casual in a pair of nice jeans, a black blazer over a white t-shirt, and a fedora. But what stuck with Robbie the most was Mercedes' message to Kurt. She had done the preaching in Robbie's opinion.<p>

"I know you don't believe in the power of prayer and that's okay. To each his own. But you've gotta believe in something. Something more than you can touch, taste, or see, 'cause life is too hard to go through it alone, without something to hold on to and without something that's sacred."

That's all Robbie thought about as he stood on the school auditorium stage, wearing a white button up and ragged jeans, white guitar in hand, strumming the strings as the glee club sang "One of Us". And as they sang, with that message running through his head and the image of who he believed was his savior, Jesus Christ, human and hung up on a cross in mind, he felt the tears prick his eyes.

That message would stick with Robbie forever. He hoped it helped Kurt, too.


End file.
